Centre for Social and Organisational Studies at Henley Business School

Introduction to the Centre

The Centre for Social and Organisational Studies was created in 2010 to bring together existing streams of research in organisational behaviour and organisation studies with a strong inter-disciplinary focus in the broader social sciences on which they draw. It aims to question conventional assumptions and understandings of organisational processes and dynamics. More specifically the centre focuses on: (a) how organisations relate to and respond adaptively to their changing socio-economic environment, (b) critical perspectives on organisation, work, meaning making and identity, and (c) morality, and problems intersecting governance, ethics and the use of executive and managerial power. We seek to combine rigour with relevance and welcome researchers in all areas of social and organisational studies as well as a wide variety of associated disciplines, including psychology, sociology, philosophy, economics and history.

We aim to contribute to theory, policy and practice, in collaboration with other research Centres of the School and the University. We maintain an orientation towards independently conducted cutting edge research which business can fund. Our research intends to inform policy so as to motivate business to contribute substantially to the public good and the needs of present and future generations. The Centre aims to promote high impact research and research led teaching in business and management that remains conscious and respectful of the integrity and well-being of those impacted.

Research in the Centre

CSOS maintains a network structure which allows it to best engage in a reflexive, critical and multidisciplinary approach to research, to academic integrity, and to the theoretical, epistemological and methodological rigour associated with the disciplines on which it draws. It is committed to pluralistic research which aims to understand, interpret and critically challenge approaches to management and organisational studies and behaviour combining a variety of research methods and designs. Some of the approaches to the objects of study we adopt include social theory, philosophy and moral philosophy, history, psychoanalysis, psychosocial and moral development theory, organisational studies and management theory.

Current CSOS research streams and projects and doctoral dissertations are:

• Authority/Rules/Conventions/Legitimacy (Ismael Al Amoudi , John Latsis)
• Governance, Executive Accountability and Responsibility (Ismael Al Amoudi, Kleio Akrivou, John Roberts)
• Critical Management Studies with a focus on power, rationality and cognitive moral development (Rohit Varman, Ismael Al Amoudi, Kleio Akrivou, Hamid Foroughi)
• Ethics and Morality in Business and Management (Kleio Akrivou, John Latsis, Lorenzo Todorow Di San Giorgio)
• Organisation, Structure , Identity, Individuals (Evelyn Fenton; Martin Bicknell)
• Organisational practices and strategy as practice (Evelyn Fenton, David Seidl)

Members of the Centre

• Dr Kleio Akrivou
• Dr Ismael Al-Amoudi
• Dr Martin Bicknell
• Dr Evelyn Fenton
• Mr Hamid Foroughi
• Professor John Hendry
• Dr John Latsis
• Professor John Roberts (University of Sydney)
• Professor David Seidl (University of Zurich)
• Mr Lorenzo Todorow Di San Giorgio
• Dr Rohit Varman (IIM Calcutta)