ABSTRACT
In this chapter we take a ‘critical discursive’ approach to the study and evaluation of management development (MD). Having first explained what this implies, we draw on both theory and our own empirical research to illustrate how such an approach can add to our understanding of the functioning and effects of MD. Whilst our exposition of the approach will be necessarily brief, we provide further sources of information for readers who may wish to deepen their knowledge of the approach. We also suggest areas where the approach might be usefully employed for the analysis of MD, both from a research perspective and from that of the practitioner or policy-maker.
