Tom C's Books, Films, Work and Organisation Podcast

Tom Calvard
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  • Books

Started out covering chapter material from my 2020 book, Critical Perspectives on Diversity in Organizations (Routledge), but now broadened to cover other book reviews, films and things of general personal and intellectual interest! (co-hosted by one-eyed black Pug, all-round legend, and my very good friend, Odin!)

  1. 07/28/2024

    Cypress Grove (2003) by James Sallis

    In this episode I discuss the literary crime fiction novel Cypress Grove by James Sallis, first published in 2003. I start with some reflections on the enduring popularity and variety of the crime/detective fiction genre in general. Then I move into discussing Sallis' detective protagonist, John Turner, and the past/present chapter structure of the book, which alternates between turner helping solve a case in a small rural town and flashback vignettes from different earlier phases in his life and career. I suggest that detective fictions have many implications for problem-solving in work, but also much more deeply for dealing with ethics in work, relationships and community, while living with work that carries the mood of difficult emotions, tragic events and traumatic outcomes. - The Guardian (2008) James Sallis: Thought Crime (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/21/james-sallis-crime-salt-river)

    20 min

  2. 07/21/2024

    The Death of Homo Economicus (2017) by Peter Fleming

    In this episode I review a 2017 book by Professor Peter Fleming, entitled 'The Death of Homo Economicus: Work, Debt and the Myth of Endless Accumulation'. I discuss its bracing and polemical critique of 'late capitalism' and the strengths and limitations of such 'critical management studies' perspectives which aim to shed light on power, control, exploitation and resistance in our workplaces and societies. Episode Notes The Guardian (2017) ‘The Death of Homo Economicus review – why does capitalism still exist?’ (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/28/death-homo-economicus-peter-fleming-review) Calvard, T. S., & Sang, K. J. (2017). Complementing psychological approaches to employee well-being with a socio-structural perspective on violence in the workplace: An alternative research agenda. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(16), 2256-2274. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09585192.2017.1314976) Spicer, A., & Alvesson, M. (2024). Critical Management Studies: A Critical Review. Journal of Management Studies. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joms.13047)

    26 min

  3. 07/14/2024

    Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940)

    In this episode I talk about the context surrounding Charlie Chaplin's 1940 film The Great Dictator, which parodies Hitler and Mussolini, while also having serious things to say about fascism, authoritarianism and Nazism. In terms of work and organisation, I also touch on its enduring implications for leadership, power and comedy. Episode Notes - The Guardian (2010) ‘The Great Dictator: No 22 best comedy film of all time’ (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/18/chaplin-great-dictator-comedy) - BBC Culture (2021) ‘The Great Dictator: The film that dared to laugh at Hitler’ (https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210204-the-great-dictator-the-film-that-dared-to-laugh-at-hitler) - Literary Hub (2023) ‘Laughing At Evil: When Charlie Chaplin Brought Hitler to the Big Screen’ (https://lithub.com/laughing-at-evil-when-charlie-chaplin-brought-hitler-to-the-big-screen/) - Aeon (2020) ‘Laughter is vital’ (https://aeon.co/essays/for-henri-bergson-laughter-is-what-keeps-us-elastic-and-free)

    19 min

  4. 09/08/2021

    Chapter 10 - Place, space and geography

    This episode discusses the 'where' of diversity in organisations and the spatial turn in social sciences, including how diverse minorities use spaces, how places create varying degrees of inclusion, and how spaces mark out geographies of inequality.

    36 min
  5. Chapter 9 - Sensemaking

    03/16/2021

    Chapter 9 - Sensemaking

    In this episode I discuss the sensemaking perspective on organizations and organizing, and how to build on and extend some of its relatively under-explored critical links with diversity, in terms of how we experience crisis, change, learning and wider social contexts and structures.

    43 min
  6. Chapter 8 - Multiculturalism

    03/06/2021

    Chapter 8 - Multiculturalism

    In this episode I discuss various critical concepts and debates surrounding the idea of multiculturalism. I consider how multiculturalism relates to diversity in organizations, and also argue there are various ways that multicultural ideas could be drawn on more in future to inform organizational diversity research and practice agendas.

    40 min
  7. Chapter 7 - Discourses

    02/17/2021

    Chapter 7 - Discourses

    In this episode I discuss critical views of discourse in relation to diversity and organizations. This covers issues of talk, text, meaning, language and different ways of communicating about differences and diversity.

    32 min
  8. Chapter 6 - Intersectionality

    02/06/2021

    Chapter 6 - Intersectionality

    In this episode I discuss the origins and concept of intersectionality as a critical way of understanding diversity in organizations. I consider the potential strengths and limitations of intersectionality as a theory and method, as well as its emerging applications to organizations. I conclude by considering the future prospects of intersectional diversity research in organizations, in relation to both challenges and opportunities.

    31 min
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About

Started out covering chapter material from my 2020 book, Critical Perspectives on Diversity in Organizations (Routledge), but now broadened to cover other book reviews, films and things of general personal and intellectual interest! (co-hosted by one-eyed black Pug, all-round legend, and my very good friend, Odin!)

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