Nourishing the Methodological Debate on Critical Management Studies Through a Decolonial Perspective

Abstract

There is a growing number of academic scholars that anchor themselves in decolonial concepts, seeking to break with the so-called coloniality of knowledge. However, research that proposes to be decolonial must think not only about the theoretical frameworks on which it is based, but also about the methods with which it intends to elaborate. This is not a simple task, since it often clashes with conventional assumptions assimilated and crystallized within the scientific field. The main goal of this study is to uncover the main paths presented in the literature regarding methodologies from and for a decolonial perspective. To this end, we conducted a selective review of articles, theses, and dissertations published in Google Scholar and Scielo to identify research strategies and how they are put into practice. Our analysis shows that, although it is still not easily understood how to break with the modern/colonial matrix methodologically, it is possible to identify some principles underlying decolonial practices: (a) critical attitude, reflexivity and place of enunciation, (b) political commitment, (c) dialogue and interculturality, (d) affectivity and (e) “escrevivência”. We conclude that the concern lies less in what the research instruments are and more in how they are used, seeking to present the paths of knowledge on the margins and question the hegemony of Eurocentric methodologies and their linearities.