Epistemic and performative quests for authentic management in India

Abstract

The project of identifying voices from the South, and transforming the discipline of organization studies through such engagement, raises important questions of how to assess and categorize disciplinary knowledge adequately for such a purpose. This article discusses two quests for authenticity in the context of Indian management studies, based in claims of epistemic relevance and performative efficacy. In both instances there appears a conscious effort to hear voices of the south. But is it sufficient to adequately re-order management knowledge to the demands of a locale, to make it more authentic?