Managerialism – A Social Order on the Rise

• Published in: Critical sociology 2020-11, Vol.46 (7-8), p.1189-1206
• Main Author: Shatil, Sharron
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Capitalism; Discourses; Dominance; Employability; Empowerment; Fulfilment; Ideology; Managerial authority; Managers; Satisfaction; Social justice; Social order; Subjectivity; Teams
• ISSN: 0896-9205; 1569-1632
• DOI: 10.1177/0896920520911703

This paper investigates the deeper ideological aspects of managerialism, or managerial social dominance in recent decades. While two academic discourses of managerialism can be identified, and management takeover of all major social organisations is receiving considerable academic attention, managerial dominance is yet to be explicitly discussed. In the hope of contributing towards this goal, this paper focuses on the managerialist picture of the subject, which – based on post-Althusserian ideology theory – lies at the heart of its ideological structures. I call this picture the ‘ultra-individual’, based mainly on the three factors of improvability, employability and satisfaction. The ultra-individual is a perfectly adaptable team player, who in return gains the right to satisfaction in all social dealings. Managerial social dominance is thereby cast as a superior model of social justice and individual empowerment leading to everyone’s satisfaction and self-fulfilment, over against the conflict ridden liberal models of capitalism.