Economía Social, Estudios Críticos de Gestión y Universidad: Un estudio de caso del Laboratorio de Economía Social.

An important yet barely explored line of research lies in elucidating how to enhance the critical performativity of Critical Management Studies (CMS) from higher education institutions. To address this question, in this article we present a case study of the Social Economy Laboratory (LAB_ES), a space created at the University of Zaragoza for the university community to experiment with initiatives and projects organized around the principles and values of the Social Economy. Specifically, the article identifies and delves into three key lines of action to promote the critical performativity of CMS from higher education spaces: (i) raising awareness among the university community of the existence of alternative forms of organization and management that are more democratic, humanistic, emancipatory, and socially responsible; (ii) developing closer collaboration between the university community and other stakeholders to collectively generate relevant and useful knowledge for social transformation; and (iii) promoting the engagement of students in alternative organization and management projects. In a context of under-representation of the Social Economy in the official curricula and research structures of Spanish higher education institutions, the article also draws some practical implications aimed at promoting training, dissemination and consultancy on Social Economy from spaces created within the boundaries of the university, but organized outside its institutional and bureaucratic rigidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]