Paralysing Rebellion: Figurations, Celebrity, and Power in Elite Talent Management

John Lever; Stephen Swailes

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-95201-7_3

Paralysing Rebellion: Figurations, Celebrity, and Power in Elite Talent Management

John Lever, Stephen Swailes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The extensive literature on talent management is relatively silent when it comes to understanding power relations, and this chapter explores power dynamics in elitist talent programme. The argument draws heavily on Norbert Elias’s ideas of figurations and his analysis of Court Society which are coupled with Robert van Krieken’s recent analysis of celebrity society. After considering how power manifests in human resource development (HRD), the chapter unfolds connections between ancient court behaviour and contemporary organization. Behaviour in elite talent pools is likely to be self-regulating in ways that suit both ambitious individuals and senior managers. The analysis suggests that elite talent pools act in ways that paralyse rebellion from within by pitting ambitious individuals against each other.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Managing Talent
Subtitle of host publication	Understanding Critical Perspectives
Editors	Billy Adamsen, Stephen Swailes
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Chapter	3
Pages	35-51
Number of pages	17
Edition	1st
ISBN (Electronic)	9783319952017
ISBN (Print)	9783319952000, 9783030069919
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95201-7_3
Publication status	Published - 12 Nov 2018

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Paralysing Rebellion: Figurations, Celebrity, and Power in Elite Talent Management

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