Myopic Rhetorics: Reflecting Epistemologically and Ethically on the Demand for Relevance in Organizational and Management Research

I examine the relevance debate in organizational/management research and teaching asa disciplinary rhetoric that should be treated with a degree of caution if not skepticism. For enslavement to relevance is in danger of reducing our independence as academics—something that, from my experience of working with a consortium of practitioners, I knowthat management values. Here, however, I do not suggest resisting relationships withmanagement. On the contrary, I endorse them as a way of developing productive, ethicalresearch and learning; building sources of access for research; and enhancing teaching. Also, such relationships can supplement existing research-funding resources, although itis still necessary to retain some epistemological distance from management practicewhile engaging with it as an ethical project.