Speaking out: The Elephant in the room - Why degrowth alternatives matter in organization

In this article we Speak Out for counter-hegemonic perspectives in degrowth management and organization studies (MOS) and the organizing practices it informs. We operationalize the concept of hegemony to identify common pitfalls and structural constraints of alternative organizing, understanding degrowth as a subset of them. We highlight how capitalist hegemony conditions the reality of organizations, while subjecting alternatives to a constant struggle between reification and absorption. Then we map out counter-hegemonic responses in alternative organization research and practice, before identifying the lack of similar approaches in degrowth MOS, which makes it prone to co-optation. Along these lines we propose future research avenues for alternative organization in combination with degrowth MOS. In the face of unprecedented ecological collapse, degrowth presents a crucial body of scholarly discourse and real-world practices that addresses the mechanisms of capital accumulation and economic growth in the organization of economic life, which are at the root of the crisis. Yet for degrowth MOS to align with its counter-hegemonic underpinnings it needs to acknowledge the elephant in the room and critically engage with capitalism and its structuring power.