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THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE and SCHOOL ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS. Whose Perspectives? and other Problems of Knowledge. The Theory of Knowledge Diagram. Where is Business and Management? . WAYS OF KNOWING. Perception Emotion Reason Language
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THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE and SCHOOL ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS Whose Perspectives? and other Problems of Knowledge
The Theory of Knowledge Diagram Where is Business and Management?
WAYS OF KNOWING • Perception • Emotion • Reason • Language • HOW DO THEY PLAY A ROLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE?
PROBLEMS OF KNOWLEDGE • Sources - bias and subjectivity • Evidence - reliability • Degree of Certainty • Methods and standards of Justification • Whose knowledge? • History of knowledge
PERCEPTION What we PERCEIVE of the real world is a product of a FILTERING PROCESS involving: • a BIOLOGICAL filter • a COGNITIVE filter which includes • a PSYCHOLOGICAL and LINGUISTIC filter • a CULTURAL and VALUES filter
PERCEPTIONS AND KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION The COGNITIVE FILTER can itself be broken down further into • a rational filter (“head”) – psychological, linguistic • an axiological filter (“heart”) – cultural, moral, aesthetic These filters may take the forms of models, theories, paradigms and value judgements.
Knowledge, paradigms, and the world **”Head” - LANGUAGE, THOUGHT PROCESSES, “Heart” - CULTURE, VALUES, PARADIGMS and IDEOLOGIES “Head” and “heart” filters** Biological Filter The world Knowledge Knowledge re-shaping the world through human action
What is the role of intuitions and tacit knowledge in business decisions? Can management be taught from a book? Do successful managers know more than they can tell? Whose perspective does B&M adopt? Is the management of organizations an art or a science? What roles do emotions and creativity play in business, and how are they manifested? Changing assumptions about human beings and culture in business. NATURE OF BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE
SPECIFIC ISSUES IN B&M THAT CONNECT WITH TOK • Measuring what we value vs. valuing what we measure. Can quality be reliably captured in quantitative measures? • Cost-benefit reasoning vs. ethical reasoning in business decisions and strategy • The reliability of business accounts • Sources of bias in business knowledge • Whose knowledge – management’s or employee’s? • Others?
Can ethical judgments be applied to the behaviour of corporations (as distinct from its managers or other agents)? Is it ethical for businesses to develop ethical objectives as a marketing strategy? Is it possible to be humane and successful in business at the same time? ETHICAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE
WHAT WE CAN DO AS TEACHERS • Pay special attention to the distinction between technical and non-technical uses of words • Encourage students to look for the limitations of economic and strategic analysis • Encourage focus on institutional, behavioural, moral and political assumptions of any analysis • Encourage students to identify, wherever possible, the gainers and losers from policies.