The Triumph of Emptiness: Consumption, Higher Education, and Work OrganizationOUP Oxford, 30 mai 2013 - 254 pages In this book, Mats Alvesson aims to demystify some popular and upbeat claims about a range of phenomena, including the knowledge society, consumption, branding, higher education, organizational change, professionalization, and leadership. He contends that a culture of grandiosity is leading to numerous inflated claims. We no longer talk about plans but 'strategies'. Supervisors have been replaced by 'managers', managers are referred to as executives. Management is about 'leadership'. Giving advice is 'coaching'. Companies become 'knowledge-intensive firms'. The book views the contemporary economy as an economy of persuasion, where firms and other institutions increasingly assign talent, energy, and resources to rhetoric, image, branding, reputation, and visibility. Using a wide range of empirical examples to illuminate the realms of consumption, higher education, organization, and leadership, this provocative and engaging book challenges established assumptions and contributes to a critical understanding of society as a whole. |
Table des matières
| 1 | |
2 Consumptionthe shortcomings of affluence | 29 |
3 Explaining the consumption paradoxwhy arent people more satisfied? | 47 |
4 Higher educationtriumph of the knowledgeintensive society? | 72 |
5 Higher educationan imageboosting business? | 95 |
6 Modern working life and organizationschange dynamism and postbureaucracy? | 118 |
7 Organizational structures on the beauty paradeimitations and shopwindow dressing | 137 |
8 A place in the sunoccupational groups professionalization projects and other status and influence ambitions | 153 |
9 Leadershipa driving force or empty talk? | 170 |
10 The triumph of imagologya paradise for tricksters? | 187 |
11 The costs of grandiosity | 204 |
| 226 | |
| 237 | |
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
The Triumph of Emptiness: Consumption, Higher Education, and Work Organization Mats Alvesson Aucun aperçu disponible - 2013 |
The Triumph of Emptiness: Consumption, Higher Education, and Work Organization Mats Alvesson Aucun aperçu disponible - 2014 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
ability academic academic degree achieve Alvesson ambitions areas aspects attractive become Boorstin brand bureaucracy chapter claims companies competition consumer consumer culture consumption contemporary context countries course crucial culture degree economic growth emphasis example expectations extent Facebook fantasies fashion focus functional stupidity grandiosity greater higher education ideal ideas identity illusion tricks important impression improve increasingly indicate individual interest involves knowledge economy knowledge society knowledge-intensive society labour market lead leaders leadership less limits to growth mass media means narcissism norms nurses occupational groups one’s organizational organizations orientation particularly perhaps personnel positive post-affluent practice problems profes professionalization programmes projects pseudo-events qualifications question rational reality refer regarded registered nurses result satisfaction sector sense Sharon Stone social sometimes standards status strong sumer symbolic things tion transformational leadership trends zero-sum games