Critical management studies and “mainstream” organization science : A proposal for a rapprochement

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a rapprochement between the field of critical management studies (CMS) and what is constructed here as the “mainstream” of organization theory and research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper contains a comparative analysis of relevant literature from the fields of organization theory, political science and political psychology. Findings – It is found, first, that at least four instances of “mainstream” theory and research more or less share CMS assumptions; second, that CMS and “mainstream” may benefit from mutual contact (using the example of the “power elite” discussion in the 1950s and 1960s); third, that CMS and “mainstream” may benefit from “mainstream” operationalization of CMS‐concepts (using the example of the development of the F ‐scale in the 1930s and 1940s). Originality/value – The paper ranks among the first to search for convergences between two fields that seem firmly divided in both theoretical and institutional terms.