PhD defence with Susanne Ekman

In order to obtain the PhD degree Susanne Ekman, Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy, has submitted his thesis entitled:

‘Authority and Autonomy. Paradoxes of Modern Knowledge Work’

Susanne Ekman has written a thesis about the contradictions, paradoxes and tensions of modern knowledge work, and the challenges which these pose to management. The central claim of the thesis is that there are two coexisting discourses about working life and management which are largely contradictory, sometimes even mutually exclusive. She has named these discourses 'contractuality' and 'authenticity' respectively.

The thesis explores in great empirical depth the nature of the discourses and the complex interactions which they give rise to between managers and employees. It addresses questions about exploitation, reliability and opportunism in this ambiguous field and claims that these phenomena are distributed across managers and employees so that both parties gain increased possibilities, both parties exercise opportunism, and both parties become more vulnerable

Supervisor:

Professor Niels Aakerstrøm Andersen

Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy, CBS

Assessment Committee:

Professor Paul du Gay (chair)

Department of Organization, CBS

Professor Hugh Willmott

Cardiff Business School, UK

Associate Professor Kirsten Bovbjerg

Danish School of Education

After the defence Doctoral School of Organisation and Management Studies will host a small reception.

Download the thesis: http://openarchive.cbs.dk/cbsweb/handle/10398/8061