Organization: A Decolonial Interpretation

Politics of colonialism in intercultural communication: Case of Indian managers

“…Interviewee 13 who perceives USA as a culture which is superior to India says, "U.S will be preferred over India, as their logical communication style, less of cultural confusion, consistency in following processes, innovation, focus on meritocracy, law abiding value system aligns well with my cultural and personal psyche." Despite significant 'cultural distance' from India it is the dominant Western management culture which presents itself as professional, systematic, efficient, productive, goal-oriented in contrast to indigenous cultures of managing which are perceived to be inefficient, unprofessional, whimsical and unproductive (Jammulamadaka, 2021). It is this understanding of Western management culture that appears to be driving this interviewee' s alignment of his own "cultural and personal psyche" with the American style of functioning.…”

“…The focus on management culture is justified given that management as a practice and a culture remains highly western, Eurocentric (Jammulamadaka et al, 2021) and delegitimizes all other ways of managing. Often non-Western nations’ practices of managing are inferiorised as unprofessional, institutional and governance voids within Western managerial discourse (Jammulamadaka, 2021; Jammulamadaka et al, 2021).…”

“…Despite significant ‘cultural distance’ from India it is the dominant Western management culture which presents itself as professional, systematic, efficient, productive, goal-oriented in contrast to indigenous cultures of managing which are perceived to be inefficient, unprofessional, whimsical and unproductive (Jammulamadaka, 2021). It is this understanding of Western management culture that appears to be driving this interviewee’ s alignment of his own “cultural and personal psyche” with the American style of functioning.…”

Not planning but way-finding: critical strategic thinking for Southern NGOs

“…Emphasizing the asymmetric, historical, geo-political relations of colonialism and neo-colonialism implicit in North-driven development management (Cooke, 2003;Dar and Cooke, 2008), this literature has argued that tools such as SP have given rise to newer pathologies in Southern NGOs, namely, overemphasis on quantitative outcomes, (Ebrahim, 2003) bureaucratization and heavy administrative workload (Roberts, et al, 2005), culturally disjunctive processes (Abramson, 1999); hybridizing accountabilities and identities (Dar, 2007(Dar, , 2014. Critical studies have found that SP adversely affects smaller community-based Southern NGOs, especially, their autonomy by increasing donor-dependence for resources with a high risk of potential goal displacement and related problems (Huddock, 1995;Jung and Moon, 2007;Jammulamadaka, 2022aJammulamadaka, , 2022bRauh, 2010;Seo, 2016).…”

“…Southern NGOs differ from Northern non-profits in that they are relatively smaller in size, community-based, having limited resources, managerial capabilities and grantdependent (Amiri and Pagheh, 2019;Fowler, 1992;Jalali, 2013;Jammulamadaka, 2009Jammulamadaka, , 2012. Powerful Northern donors, agencies and practitioners have uncritically introduced and mandated SP even for these smaller, community-based Southern NGOs as a strategic thinking tool that improves professionalism, effectiveness, growth, sustainability and autonomy (Brett, 2000;Edwards and Fowler, 2002;Grønbjerg, 1993;Jammulamadaka, 2022a;Lewis, 2004;Mulhare, 1999;Nuijten, 2012;Werther and Berman, 2001). However, studies on NGOs outside the global North have identified several constraints and challenges of small, community-based Southern NGOs in using SP for strategic thinking (Abok, 2014;Bromideh, 2011;Malunga, 2007).…”