Critical management studies (not) in The Netherlands

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what “critical” could mean in “critical management studies” (CMS) in the current (Dutch) regime of re‐commodification. Design/methodology/approach Conflicts that typify the context, within which “criticalness” does or does not emerge, are examined. The specific circumstance of “criticalness” in organizational studies within the Dutch political and intellectual circumstance is appraised. Findings The critical management studies of experimentation (“essai”) can respond to de‐solidarization and the need for ethical democratic governance; but it can also lead to philosophizing without contextual engagement. Practical implications CMS has to be judged for what it tries and how it engages with its context and not the cleverness of its ideas. Originality/value CMS is examined not idealistically but in terms of current social and intellectual conditions