Critical marketing studies: logical empiricism, ‘critical performativity’ and marketing practice

Abstract

According to recent statements by prominent Critical Marketing scholars, there remains a problem of how to clarify this ambiguous label for interested colleagues. Beyond the usual gestures to paradigmatic pluralism, epistemological reflexivity and ontological denaturalization (Fournier and Grey, 2000; Tadajewski and Brownlie, 2008; Whittle and Spicer, 2008), I argue that Critical Marketing Studies possesses similar characteristics to the vein of thought promoted by the founding members of the Vienna Circle. Critical Marketing and logical empiricism, I suggest, are not the diametrical opposites that we might otherwise suppose. Subsequently I claim that Critical Marketing Studies needs to engage with marketing actors and this requires a different relationship between Critical scholars and practitioners than may have been the case previously. Finally, I provide an alternative way of thinking about theory production in marketing.

Extending critical performativity

“…The ideas have been applied to a range of issues such as leadership (Craveni et al, 2010;Alvesson and Spicer, 2012a), human resource management (Janssens and Steyeart, 2009), marketing (Tadajewski, 2010), co-operatives (Leca et al, 2014;Paranaque and Willmott, 2014), academic conferences (Bell and King, 2010), and even online dating (Roscoe and Chillas, 2014). There have also been attempts to elaborate the idea such as Hartman's (2014) argument that subversive readings of mainstream theory can be made performative, and Wickert and Schaefer's (2015) paper which provides guidelines for the mobilization of managers and scholars to achieve meaningful change.…”

Pague e Peque: Uma Arqueologia do Discurso do Adultério Mercadorizado

“…Contudo, uma perspectiva alternativa e crítica tem se apresentado com relevância e notoriedade na academia internacional. Esta entende que a relação entre marketing e sociedade, sob diferentes aspectos (e.g., ética, regulação e representação cultural), compreende exercício de poder, possível de ser investigando e repensado, de modo a permitir a proposição de novos olhares sobre esse fenômeno (Dholakia, 2012;Tadajewski, 2010).…”

Risks/rewards and an evolving business model

“…To get nearer to the interviewees' perspective in this case study, bracketing was utilised to maximize the voice of the interviewees in line with Tadajewski (2010). Specifically, by increasing the number of quotes in the space restrictions of this paper, thus indicating evidence of issues existing in line with study's objective.…”

“…This investigation takes an interpretivist perspective and explores the subjective nature of processes (including perceptions and actions) instead of the positivistic assumptions that quantitative research has the potential to make. Specifically, the following section regarding the case study findings purposely draws heavily on quotes and the idea is to be non-positivist as an argument is not made for objectivity (Tadajewski, 2010). The aim of the instrumental case study is to summarise the partners' story as far as possible in their words in respect of the previous academic underpinning and particularly the owner-manager that worked full-time in the business.…”