Introduction to the special issue on “Critical international management and international critical management: Perspectives from Latin America”

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to problematise the emerging interest on international management from a critical point of view, considering the potential contribution of Latin American perspectives and to introduce the content of the special issue on “Critical international management and international critical management: perspectives from Latin America”. Design/methodology/approach – The paper shows the relevance acquired recently by international management and the international advance of critical management studies, but also demonstrates their inherent limitations because of their universalistic standpoint that inhibit them to consider the governance issues of international management that are obvious from a Latin American standpoint. Findings – The paper finds the relevance of some Latin American perspectives to break down the universalistic point of view of IM and CMS introducing a “pluriversalistic” geopolitical position to consider alternate projects to neoliberal globalisation contributing to realise the necessary decolonial shift to produce symmetrical dialogue across the border. Originality/value – The paper shows that the contributions included in the special issue open new ways to critically consider and renew international management as a field of knowledge, but also demonstrates the relevance to think on the internationalisation of critical management during the recent years. They contribute to foster the new constitution of knowledge production around complex/diachronic issues reconceptualising research projects as co-operative ventures of multiple voices and orientations from multiple places.