Towards a paradigm shift for decolonizing international development projects

Purpose This paper aims to examine how power and knowledge operate in international development projects (IDPs) and how epistemic injustice is produced through their structural and relational configurations. It advances a decolonial perspective by integrating power-as-process with the colonial matrix of power (CMP). Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a conceptual and critical reflexive approach, drawing on international business (IB), critical management studies and decolonial scholarship. It develops an analytical framework to examine how epistemic injustice is enacted across multiple levels of IDPs. Findings The paper shows that epistemic injustice is structurally embedded in IDPs and enacted across institutional, political, organisational and individual levels. Dominant power-as-resource perspectives obscure the relational nature of power and contribute to the marginalisation of local knowledge. By contrast, a power-as-process perspective reveals how epistemic hierarchies are reproduced and contested through everyday practices. Research limitations/implications The study calls for empirical research to examine how epistemic justice can be operationalised in diverse development contexts. Practical implications The paper highlights the need for decolonial reflexivity and for recognising local actors as legitimate epistemic agents to foster more inclusive practices. Social implications This perspective allows for developing strategies that address historical injustices and promote social equity, further contributing to global efforts to tackle grand challenges. Originality/value This paper contributes to IB and project management by repositioning IDPs as key sites of analysis and by linking power-as-process with the CMP to address epistemic injustice.