Crossing Epistemological Boundaries: Managerial and Entrepreneurial Approaches to Knowledge Management

Abstract

We identify two distinct yet complementary epistemological paths to knowledge development. The first one is holistic and field dependent and builds on the concept of plausibility; this path we associate with an entrepreneurial mindset. The second is object-oriented and builds on the concept of probability; this path we associate with the managerial mindset. We believe that both managerial and knowledge management practices have emphasized the second path at the expense of the first. To restore the balance, knowledge management needs to develop processes and tools that will allow it to credibly operate in possible and plausible worlds, so as to extract value from them. We propose a systems framework for thinking through the nature of such tools.