Core groups stand as the tangible, but fluid repositories of knowledge, influence and power in organizations. Thus, the core group in any organization is the focal point of organizational learning throughout the organization, because people act to fulfill the perceived needs and priorities of...

Kleiner advances Core Group Theory (CGT) as a framework for pursuing an emancipative agenda in the context of a society heavily influenced by modern organizations. Analysis of Kleiner's ideas through the lens of critical management studies (CMS) reveals that, despite its merits, CGT may overlook...

In this response to Kleiner's Core Group Theory, the author maintains that any creative or liberatory potential to be found in core group decision making is and probably will remain unrealized unless maximization of financial returns – as the dominant organizational value – can be...