Decolonisation and higher education

: a qualitative exploration of the perspectives and experiences of academics in UK business schools

Abstract

This study is a qualitative exploration of the identities and orientations of business school academics given recent calls for the decolonisation of UK business schools. Decolonisation of higher education institutions is understood as a theory and practice whose aim is to resist the distinct but intertwined processes and racialisation and colonisation. Conceptualised as a form of critique, an individual, and collective practice, proponents see it as a way to transform higher education institutions to enable them to
promote social justice within their walls and better serve their roles as institutions within a global knowledge production system. UK business schools provide a unique context for exploration of decolonisation as they are historically linked to colonisation, subject to the neoliberal forces that structure the sector but are also seen as the source of knowledge that spreads neoliberal thought around the world. The decolonisation of UK business schools re-emerged as an area of interest following the events of 2020 which brought racial inequality and the fore and a resurgence in efforts to uncover and address the coloniality in business schools. Consequently, this research explores the origin and place of decolonisation in the UK business school context and determine the barriers and opportunities for decolonising practice. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with twenty-two mid-career academics and analysed using a postcolonial critical discourse analysis. Findings are that discussion of decolonisation give rise to postcolonial discomfort due to the tensions between idealised versions of the business school academic identity and postcolonial realities that academics attempt to resolve through equating and distancing strategies. This study contributes to our understanding of UK business schools as postcolonial institutions through the framework of postcolonial discomfort and provides empirical evidence of the discursive strategies that can constrain decolonisation, thereby providing insights into how it can be conceptualised if UK business schools are to benefit from the possibilities that this movement holds.

Date of Award	22 May 2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Simon Kelly (Main Supervisor) & Shelley Harrington (Co-Supervisor)