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Varieties of Knowledge and Their Use in Business and Management Studies: Conditions and Institutions

Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	Abstract

Many research fields combine practical goals with a search for fundamental mechanisms and make significant contributions to theoretical understanding. This is especially so in the social sciences, which are often concerned with policy issues and problems, albeit withvarying degrees of directness. Business and management studies (BMS) may be morefocused on practical problem solving than other social sciences, but they are equally capableof contributing major intellectual innovations. They produce a variety of kinds ofknowledge that are practically useful in different conditions. At least eight types can be distinguished in terms of their horizontal and vertical isolation, and their identification ofcausal mechanisms. These can be expected to be more or less effective in producingdesired outcomes according to three conditions: contextual independence, stability of internalcausal processes, and similarity of circumstances. These conditions in turn are likely tobe achieved to varying degrees in different socio-economic systems governed by differentinstitutional arrangements, particularly those that encourage varying degrees of managerialauthority sharing and inter-firm coordination of economic activities. Differences in thedominant institutions governing knowledge production and labour markets also affect thekinds of research styles and knowledge types that dominate BMS in different societies.

Key Words: knowledge types and use, business and management studies, horizontal isolation, vertical isolation, causal mechanisms, contextual independence, internal closure, institutional regimes, authority sharing, public science systems

First published on February 8, 2008, doi:10.1177/0170840607088152

Organization Studies 2008;29:581.

A more recent version of this article appeared on April 1, 2008


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