COLLEGIALITY AS CONTROL? HOW UNCOUNTED WORK GETS DONE IN THE NEOLIBERAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

Academic-management systems in the neoliberal business school explicitly link rewards to work that "counts" in terms of institutional metrics and prestige, notably "big hit" publications. Yet, many of us devote considerable time to tasks that do not count in this manner, for example reviewing manuscripts and mentoring colleagues. Why do so many academics continue to do this uncounted work in schools governed by audit cultures? One reason, we propose, is because it is commonly considered collegial to do so. We regard academic collegiality as an indispensable aspect of our profession that needs protection. However, it has become a double-edged sword. Collegiality is prized for its intrinsic value, but also works in tandem with performance metrics by compelling academics to undertake duties that otherwise remain unquantified. To better understand this negative side of collegiality, we theorize it as a form of "concertive control." This control-expressed via norms of good organizational citizenship-is closely connected with the perpetuation of audit cultures but is often misinterpreted as the opposite. What is to be done? Rather than simply abandon collegiality, we recommend building a fuller, more multidimensional expression of it, and offer practical suggestions for doing so.