Impact of critical management studies courses on learners' attitudes and beliefs

Changing employees' attitudes and beliefs is considered key to changing employee behavior. This article examines the impact on learners' management philosophies of their participation in a critical management studies (CMS) course. The study utilized a qualitative case study of CMS courses at two sites, one in the United Kingdom and one in the United States. Semi-structured interviews with eleven learners and class observations were the primary methods. The findings indicate that learners come into CMS classrooms with different philosophies, including critical orientations. CMS courses impact on the learners' management philosophy in multiple ways within the same course. The course simultaneously reinforces different, even opposing orientations at the same time. This study has important implications for training designed to influence the attitudes and beliefs of employees.