A pragmatic, non-dogmatic current that seeks to deploy Marxist analysis as a competitive advantage within capitalist enterprises. It sounds like an oxymoron—Marxism as a management tool—but its proponents argue that understanding surplus value extraction makes you a better operations manager; that grasping the contradictions of labor exploitation helps you design more resilient supply chains; that recognizing the alienation inherent in Taylorist work organization allows you to build more cohesive, innovative teams. Business Development Marxism does not pretend that consulting for a corporation is revolutionary praxis. It is, rather, a strategic compromise: use the tools of the master to improve conditions within the house, build worker power, and perhaps, over the long term, lay the foundations for something else. It is Gramsci's "war of position" fought in boardrooms and R&D departments.
Business Development Marxism Example: A Business Development Marxist works as a product manager at a logistics startup. She uses Marx's distinction between concrete and abstract labor to reframe the company's efficiency metrics: instead of optimizing solely for speed (abstract labor time), she advocates for metrics that capture skill development, worker autonomy, and job satisfaction (concrete labor quality). She introduces co-determination practices in her team, arguing that flat hierarchies reduce turnover and increase innovation. She does not call this socialism; she calls it "agile management." Her colleagues think she's an excellent executive. She is, in her own estimation, a mole.
by Dumu The Void February 12, 2026
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