Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of truth and knowledge in management generally and knowledge management in particular. Based on ideas from critical realism and critical theory, it argues against the monovalent conceptualization of knowledge implicitly or explicitly held by many authors and aims instead to develop a characterization that recognizes the rich and varied ways in which human beings may be said ‘to know’. It points out and conceptualizes a fundamental dimension of knowledge that is generally ignored or cursorily treated within the literature, that is, ‘truth’. It identifies four forms of knowledge – propositional, experiential, performative and epistemological – and explores their characteristics, especially in terms of truth and validity. It points out some implications for knowledge management.
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Notes
Although we are mainly interested in Bhaskar's philosophy of science, CR is becoming influential in organization theory (Ackroyd & Fleetwood, 2000; Fleetwood & Ackroyd, 2004), sociology (Archer, 1995; Brown et al., 2002; Danermark et al., 2002) and economics (Lawson, 1997).
‘Critical realism’ as mentioned here is not the same as Bhaskar's CR to be discussed later in the paper.
Although postmodernists argue that it is the theory that is deemed most powerful that is accepted as true.
Bhaskar was actually a student of Harré and there are still clear resonances of this.
These different varieties of knowledge will be discussed later.
It is coincidental that Machlup (1980, p. 47) also identifies 13 elements of knowing – I had not read his book at the time. As one might expect the two lists are similar but not identical.
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Mingers, J. Management knowledge and knowledge management: realism and forms of truth. Knowl Manage Res Pract 6, 62–76 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.kmrp.8500161
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.kmrp.8500161