Critical Management Scholars meet Critical Animal Scholars: Where to next?

This event is designed to explore the theoretical and empirical synergies between the two disciplinary fields of study – Critical Management Studies and Critical Animal Studies.

How often do we discover that two disciplines are addressing the same problem, albeit in slightly different ways? The way knowledge is organised within universities often fosters a silo mentality—whether intentionally or not. This issue appears to be particularly prevalent in the social sciences, given the wide range of methods, perspectives, and topics involved, as well as the somewhat arbitrary allocation of overarching faculties.

Critical Management Studies (CMS) has been remarkably slow to recognise animals and other non-human entities as a legitimate subject of scholarly inquiry. Although CMS prides itself on exposing and challenging inequalities within organisations, it remains largely silent on speciesism and continues to operate from a predominantly anthropocentric ethical standpoint. However, over the past decade, a growing body of work has emerged from scholars around the world. Who might they learn from to deepen their understanding and refine their theoretical positioning?

In contrast, the field of Critical Animal Studies is relatively well established, with a long and varied history rooted in early animal rights discourse. As a body of knowledge, it is more theoretically developed, though perhaps less emphasis has been placed on empirical research. Although it adopts a more radical stance than CMS on issues relating to animals, its strong vegan and anti-speciesist foundations have sometimes limited its engagement with other areas of scholarship focused on different forms of oppression and inequality. Who could scholars draw on to broaden their understanding of the structures and processes that enable animal exploitation?

What do these two fields have in common? How can we share resources and act in tandem to create a stronger, more unified voice against the exploitation of animals—not just as food, but also as workers, ‘pets’, entertainers, clothing, and transport? By linking and extending ideas of animal exploitation to other marginalised human and non-human groups—including minerals, water, air, forests, and more—we begin to see how the climate crisis and the emergence of pandemics (UNEP, 2020) are also intimately connected and grounded in anthropocentric and anthropogenic worldviews.

As we navigate these complex issues, it is crucial to foster informed discussion and develop strategies to address these pressing and interconnected injustices. REEF seeks to advocate for equitable futures for ALL in a world that increasingly encroaches on the rights and wellbeing of the majority of our planet’s inhabitants.

This REEF event will feature expert academic speakers presenting research that explores the theoretical challenges and empirical opportunities future synergies might offer. In addition to mapping the fields of CAS and CMS, speakers will also share empirical work that bridges the two.

Your participation in two separate 30-minute discussion sessions will be vital in generating ideas for future collaboration—whether through networks, journals, conferences, or other cross-disciplinary opportunities that may arise.

Register on Eventbrite

Speakers

• Dr. Astrid Huopalainen: Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Aalto University, Finland
• Dr. Matthew Melsa: Senior Lecturer at The Open University, United Kingdom
• Dr. Linda Tallberg: Senior Lecturer at The University of Lapland, Finland
• Melda Kelemcisoy: PhD candidate at The Open University, United Kingdom

Hosts

• Dr Marco Distinto, The Open University Business School
• Prof Caroline Clarke, The Open University Business School