Introducing the French Psychodynamics of Work Perspective to Critical Management Education: Why Do the Work Task and the Organization of Work Matter?

Abstract

We call on critical management education to focus on the organization of work and the nature of work tasks. Although critical action learning and both reflexive and psychodynamic approaches to management education situate learning in actual work experiences, they do not explicitly encourage reflection on work tasks and the organization of work. Our aim is to draw on the French psychodynamics of work perspective to argue that reflection on concrete experiences and processes of work is important because work has significant implications for workers’ health and for society. We also use two vignettes to discuss the implications of French psychodynamics of work for the practice of critical management education.