Management Education in a “Post-Truth” World: Critical Theory’s Contribution to Addressing Disruptions to Learning and Communication

Abstract

Post-truth poses deep challenges for educators and learners as classrooms are disrupted by the erosion of the status of facts, technologically driven information sourcing, and increasing incivility in the public sphere. These disruptions manifest behaviorally and conceptually and, we argue, can potentially radically realign learning and decision-making landscapes at local classroom levels as well as societal levels, conditioning learners to knowledge systems controlled and curated by powerful interests, threatening students’ ability to function as citizens in a democracy. We analyze these disruptions using the work of Theodor Adorno and Jurgen Habermas and highlight Habermas’s focus on communication and Adorno’s elucidation of cultural production via the culture industry. Using these perspectives, we underline the urgency of responding to post-truth shifts and suggest a framework of practices for educators to consider as they confront these post-truth disruptions.