ABSTRACT
Proponents of discourse analysis argue with some justification that 'the study of discourse is emerging as one of the primary means of analysing complex organizational phenomena and engaging with the dynamic and often illusive features of organizing'. Since the 1990s there has been an explosion in the use of discourse analysis in management studies. Roy Jacques is explicit in his work that he is attempting a discursive analysis of management knowledge, although his definition of discursive analysis is perfunctory beyond brief references to the work of F. de Saussure and M. Foucault. This is particularly unfortunate as the notion of 'discourse' is typically inadequately defined, and the breadth of the term can mask a number of fundamental epistemological and ontological differences. Jacques' method and evidence produces a not altogether unexpected mix of levels of analysis, evidence and data, and he deftly integrates them into a generally convincing narrative.
