The world of business and leadership is changing fast. Companies today face big questions:
- How do we grow without harming the planet?
- How do we lead in fair and ethical ways?
- And how do we make sure management is about more than just profit?
At REGENT Business School, these questions are taken seriously. Through the Brown Bag Seminar Series, REGENT brings together academics, students, and the public to explore Critical Management Studies (CMS).
CMS is a way of looking at business that challenges old ideas and encourages fresh, fair, and sustainable solutions.
In fact, the Brown Bag Seminar Series has become a key platform for Critical Management Studies in South Africa, helping people think deeply about the issues in management education that affect both local and global contexts.
It highlights how management theory and practice must adapt to today’s challenges, with a focus on fairness, inclusion, and responsibility.
In this article, we will look at what CMS means, why it matters in South Africa, and how REGENT is leading the way in shaping ethical business education for the future.
What are Critical Management Studies South Africa?
Critical Management Studies, or CMS, is about asking tough questions. It takes a critical perspective on management, questioning mainstream management theory and practice to see if they truly serve people, communities, and the planet.
Instead of accepting business as usual, CMS asks:
- Is this way of managing fair?
- Does it benefit people, or just generate profits for a few?
- What impact does it have on society and the environment?
For example, teamwork is often seen as a “win-win.” Mainstream business research says teamwork makes staff happier and companies stronger. But CMS looks deeper. It asks whether teamwork sometimes pressures workers to overwork or follow company rules without question.
In short, CMS is about rethinking how organisations operate, ensuring management is ethical, inclusive, and responsible.
Why is CMS important in South Africa?
South Africa faces unique challenges: unemployment, inequality, poverty, and sustainability. These problems can’t be solved by focusing only on profits.
The challenges in management studies here go far beyond numbers and bottom lines. Students and leaders must think about fairness, inclusion, and sustainability. That’s why REGENT Business School places such a strong focus on ethical business education.
This is where CMS helps. It teaches students and professionals to think critically about leadership and decision-making. For example:
- Can entrepreneurship also fight poverty?
- Can business leaders break down the barriers that hold women back?
- Can companies protect the environment while still growing?
By asking these questions, Critical Management Studies in South Africa equips future leaders with the tools to create meaningful change — both in business and in society.
South Africa also struggles with structural inequalities that affect workplaces and communities. CMS responds by pushing for equity and inclusion in business and promoting social justice leadership. This ensures organisations serve society, not just shareholders.
Key issues discussed in the Seminar Series
The Brown Bag Seminar Series at REGENT covered many important topics, each shining a light on new ways to think about leadership and organisations. Here are some of the highlights.
- Business & ethics: Why businesses must act with honesty and fairness, not just chase profits.
- Social entrepreneurship & innovation: How business ideas can help solve social problems like hunger or unemployment.
- Women and the glass ceiling: The barriers women face in leadership, and how to break through them.
- Sustainability: Finding a balance between business growth and protecting the planet.
- Leadership & management: Exploring the differences between leading people and managing systems — and why both matter.
- Africa rising: Looking at Africa’s growth with a critical eye, asking what it really means for people on the ground.
- Change management: Helping organisations adapt in times of big change.
- Food security, poverty reduction, and land use: Tackling issues that go beyond the boardroom but still shape economies and societies.
These themes show that CMS is not just about theory. It’s about real-world problems that affect people, communities, and nations.
The series also highlights alternative management approaches, from social entrepreneurship to sustainability, while drawing on postcolonial management studies, which ask how global business ideas fit into African realities.
How REGENT Business School is leading the conversation
The Brown Bag Seminar Series is more than just lectures. It’s an open, interactive space where people can share ideas, challenge each other, and work toward better solutions.
Sessions are short (15–20 minutes) but highly engaging. Speakers include professors, researchers, and business leaders. Students, staff, and the public are all welcome to join. The goal is to make business education practical, ethical, and socially responsible.
By hosting these sessions, REGENT shows its commitment to critical theory in business schools and to rethinking how leadership and management are taught.
This is part of REGENT’s reputation for thought leadership, shaping how future leaders see business in South Africa and beyond.
Through open dialogue and debate, REGENT encourages transformative learning and reflexive management practice, where students learn to question their own assumptions.
This reflects a critical pedagogy that supports emancipatory business practices, helping future leaders design fairer systems and explore alternative management models that balance profit with social good.
FAQs
What makes CMS different from normal management studies?
Normal management studies often focus on profit and efficiency. CMS goes further. It asks: Is this fair? Is this sustainable? Does it help society?
Can CMS ideas work in the real world?
Yes. Companies today face pressure from customers and governments to act responsibly. CMS helps leaders adapt by thinking about ethics, sustainability, and fairness.
Why should South African students care?
Because CMS connects directly to issues like inequality, unemployment, and poverty. It helps students become leaders who can solve problems that matter most to South Africa.
Does REGENT teach CMS in its programmes?
Yes. REGENT includes CMS themes in its seminars and courses, encouraging students to question old ways of thinking and to become ethical leaders.
What falls under management studies?
Management studies cover many areas, such as leadership, strategy, marketing, accounting, human resources, operations, and entrepreneurship. CMS takes these same areas but adds a new lens — asking whether the practices are fair, inclusive, and sustainable.
Study management courses with REGENT
Critical Management Studies is about more than just questioning business. It’s about reimagining leadership and organisations in a way that is ethical, inclusive, and sustainable.
Through its Brown Bag Seminar Series, REGENT Business School is giving students, professionals, and the public a space to debate, learn, and create new ideas.
This makes REGENT a leader in shaping the future of management education — not just for South Africa, but for the world.
If you’re passionate about leadership that drives positive change, REGENT’s programmes and seminars are the perfect place to start. You can have a look at the following management courses:
- Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management – build strong skills in managing people.
- Bachelor of Commerce in Supply Chain Management – understand how goods and services move across industries and borders.
- Higher Certificate in Business Management – a great entry point for anyone starting out in management studies.
- Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management – perfect for graduates who want to sharpen their project leadership and strategic thinking.
- MBA – advanced learning for those aiming to lead organisations at the highest level.
