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Dr Kevin Morrell, Associate Professor of Governance, Warwick Business School

For people interested in organizations... free Slides & Notes from my lectures or seminars. Research lists publications.  Tips for your PhD!

LAST UPDATE 6 April 2013

Organization, Society and Politics: An Aristotelian Perspective

"It is common that texts about management pretend to be clever, and decorate themselves with a little philosophy in order to do so. In Kevin Morrell’s book, we see the reverse, the intelligent and subtle use of Aristotle’s philosophy to try to understand the nature of the challenges which management and governance presents us with. This is an important work, and I hope it will be widely read." Martin Parker, Editor of Organization: The Critical Journal of Organization, Theory and Society

"Morrell amply demonstrates the relevance of Aristotle’s thought to the twenty-first century world. By combining Aristotelian philosophy with detailed case studies he suggests fresh approaches to the problems of modern organizations and of society at large. His book will appeal, not only to students of business and related disciplines, but to anyone with a serious interest in the ethical, social and political issues of our day." Richard Stalley, Professor of Ancient Philosophy, University of Glasgow

"Organization, Society and Politics relates Aristotle's analyses to the power, rhetoric and ethics of contemporary organizations. Some of this has been done before, but rarely, if ever, has it been done so competently, critically, constructively and compellingly. Weaving together insights from several disciplines, Kevin Morrell here establishes himself as an incisive voice in contemporary Aristotelianism." Kelvin Knight, Director, Centre for Contemporary Aristotelian Studies in Ethics & Politics

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"How to rethink organizations and their role in politics and society? This enlightening book provides a systematic Aristotelian account of organizations as a political, social form. A pleasure to read, it gives valuable insights in the potentials of practical wisdom in organizational life." Anders Berg-Sřrensen, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

Recent Publications in Journals - click titles to see the abstracts - link to publications pre 2008

Lucas, J. W., Morrell, K. and Posard, M. (2013) Considerations on the ‘Replication Problem’ in Sociology, The American Sociologist.

Morrell, K. and Hewison, A. (2013) Rhetoric in Policy Texts: The role of enthymeme in Darzi’s review of the NHS, Policy and Politics, 41(1): 59-79.

Morrell, K. and Lucas, J. (2012) The replication problem and its implications for policy studies, Critical Policy Studies, 6(2): 182-200.

Morrell, K. and Harrington, N. (2012) What is Governance in The ‘Public Interest?, Public Administration, 90(2): 412-428.

Morrell, K. (2012) Evidence-Based Dialectics, Organization, 19(4): 461-79. DOI: 10.1177/1350508411414229.  the Podcast

Morrell, K. and Clark, I. (2010) Private Equity and the Public Good, Journal of Business Ethics, 96(2): 249-263.

Morrell, K. and Jayawardhena, J. (2010) Fair Trade, Ethical Decision Making and the Narrative of Gender Difference, Business Ethics, 19(4): 393-407.

K Morrell (2010) Business schools and economic crisis, International Journal of Management Concepts & Philosophy, 4(1): 21-7.
K Morrell (2010) Leadership, rhetoric, and formalist literary theory, Journal of Leadership Studies, 3(4): 86-90.

K Morrell (2009) Governance and the Public Good, Public Administration, 87(3): 538-556.
K Morrell (2008) The Narrative of ‘Evidence based’ Management, Journal of Management Studies, 45(3): 613-635.
K Morrell, J. Loan Clarke, A. Wilkinson and J. Arnold (2008) Mapping the decision to quit, Applied Psychology, 57(1): 128-150.

The Realities of Work 4th Edition Now Available

"The Realities of Work is a terrific book that is part of an important project. More than a survey of concepts and theories about work, the book is designed to help the reader think through what work is in its many forms. I particularly like the accessibility of the writing, the ubiquitous examples, and the deliberate efforts to help readers think through what they read in the text with exercises, questions for reflection, and extracts that bring the material to life. In these ways, the book goes well beyond the typical textbook in making the material engaging. This is a rare text that students, particularly undergraduates but graduate students as well, will actually enjoy reading." Professor Jeff Lucas, University of Maryland, USA

"Placing the employee at the centre of their analysis, the newest edition of The Realities of Work, by Mike Noon, Paul Blyton and Kevin Morrell, makes a significant and innovative contribution to our understanding of work. Combining important theoretical frameworks with a diverse range of historical and contemporary examples, The Realities of Work reveals how individual and collective experiences and the organisation of work are the outcome of contested social, political and economic processes and relationships. In short, this book furthers and deepens our understanding of the complexity and diversity of work, an activity which in all of its forms remains central to human experience." Professor Tim Marjoribanks, La Trobe Business School, Australia

"A key introductory text to classical ideas and new research about work and employment in today"s workplace. With a focus on the skills, routines and survival strategies used by workers to manoeuvre their way through controls, technologies and obstacles to meaningful, knowledgeable and balanced working life, Mike Noon, Paul Blyton and Kevin Morrell have updated research across all 14 chapters to maintain the relevance of the text for understanding and explaining trends in the modern workplace." Professor Chris Smith, Royal Holloway University of London, UK

"Indispensable for students who wish to develop a detailed understanding of contemporary workplace settings. It has a comprehensive in scope that is impressive and its thematic organisation systematically dissects key debates about the changing nature of working-life. At the same time, its accessible prose, entertaining examples and cogent suggestions for activities and discussions make it an invaluable resource for educators who wish to convey the realities of worker experiences to their students. In short, this book should be a core text within all programmes of study that include industrial relations, HRM and work organisation as core subject areas." Professor Steve Vincent, Newcastle University, UK

"The manuscript is well structured and logical with balanced style and content. It offers an explanatory, critical reading as well as the ability to think deeply about the changing world of work. It is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in work, society and organisation." Denis Hyams-Ssekasi, University of Huddersfield, UK

"The authors are to be commended for locating their analysis of work in the current financial crisis, making their contribution relevant and applicable. Contemporary examples make the text relevant for undergraduate students, whilst the use of key concepts, exercises and extracts help complex materials become accessible and engaging. This edition will make a valuable contribution to understanding work." Dr. Chris Bolsmann, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Aston University, UK

The Ethical Business 2nd Edition

The Ethical Business: Challenges and Controversies"This is an excellent introductory text: grounded, topical and practical" Jeremy Moon, Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility, Director of International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, Nottingham University Business School, UK

"An excellent balance between theory and application with good philosophical underpinning." Carole Parkes, Senior Lecturer, Work& Organisational Psychology Group, Aston Business School, UK

"This interesting, thought-provoking book makes a valuable contribution to the field of business ethics. It is a book that scholars, tertiary students, business practitioners and the critical-thinking layperson alike will find rewarding. Given increasing pressures from citizens and governments on businesses to be socially responsible, the authors offer salient, pertinent challenges to each of us in terms of our own ethical stance." June Buchanan, Marketing Academic, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

 

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Full paper on Learning and Leadership

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The quotes below are from a paper on Aphorisms and Leaders" Rhetoric.  Here is a  summary of that paper.
 
The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.  Santayana…          What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.  Holmes…          He that is proud eats up himself; pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle.  Shakespeare…          I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”.  Churchill...          Prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.  Bacon...          Every man I meet is my superior in some way.  In that, I learn of him.  Emerson...          Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.  Goethe...          The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.  T. H. Huxley...          If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. J. S. Mill...          He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.  And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.  Nietzsche...     There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.  Wilde…     He who by reanimating the old can gain knowledge of the new is fit to be a teacher.  Confucius