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Transforming Society podcastConversations with authors around social justice and global social challenges Author: Bristol University Press
Brought to you by Bristol University Press and Policy Press, the Transforming Society podcast brings you conversations with our authors around social justice and global social challenges.We get to grips with the story their research tells, with a focus on the specific ways in which it could transform society for the better. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: News, Politics, Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Why work needs less management and more judgement
Friday, 26 June, 2026
Today’s organisations are increasingly complex with many rules and procedures and little space to think outside the box and take personal responsibility. In this Transforming Business episode, Martin Parker speaks with Mats Alvesson and Dennis Nørmark, co-authors of ‘Return to Judgement’, about how we can tackle this and give workers more space to use their judgement. They discuss the rise of managerialism, the problem with having an excess of an administrative ‘knowing better class’ and what can be done to give employees their agency back.Mats Alvesson is Professor at the University of Bath, Lund University and City University of London. Dennis Nørmark is an anthropologist, author and speaker.Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/professional-business/return-to-judgementThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/06/26/podcast-why-work-needs-less-management-and-more-judgement/Timestamps:00:38 - What was your motivation for writing this book?04:05 - Do you think the infantilisation we're seeing now is different in kind or quality from what we've seen in the 20th century?06:28 - How does this fit with other complaints about modern organising?10:52 - What are some examples of infantilisation in the workplace?15:59 - Are there examples from private sector organisations too?19:13 - Is this primarily a complaint by professionals, or is it wider than that?21:05 - Are IT systems a way infantilised management gets embedded?25:49 - What are the solutions?33:17 - Who do you hope will read this book?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
