PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT

This course philosophically discusses knowledge management in organisations and institutions from the perspective of the theories of mind and knowledge, in particular distributed cognition and virtue & vice epistemology. Starting from a dynamical account of the social dimension of knowledge production, it investigates the role played by the epistemic agents and their interactions in the management of knowledge. A specific focus on the character traits of the agents, in the entanglement with their affective dispositions, is pursued discussing the issues of dehumanisation/emotional labor in organisations.

The aims of the course are:
1 To discuss the main theoretical questions about knowledge management and production in organisations, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the different answers;
2 To develop students’ understanding of some of the main issues of contemporary management, especially concerning the role of personal engagement, affects, virtues and vices in organisations;
3 To develop some of the core philosophical skills in philosophy: reconstructing and evaluating arguments, articulating theories and model-building, analysis of case studies, assessing the explanatory power of a model about real-life situations and issues, engaging with the social and political dimensions of the inquiry;
4 To enhance students’ ability to display critical assessment along with knowledge of the debate;
5 To develop students' capacity to address philosophical questions with their discipline.

No prior knowledge required.

In week 1, we will introduce the theoretical framework of distributed cognition with the extended mind hypothesis for understanding the social dimension of knowledge production. This will be the ground for discussing the role of leadership and cooperation in knowledge management in week 2. In week 3, we will analyse knowledge management from the perspective of situated affectivity, mainly discussing the issue of depersonalisation in organisations.
In weeks 4 and 5, we will introduce the conceptual tools of virtue & vice epistemology for discussing cases and issues about the role of specific character traits in knowledge management. In week 4, we will analyse practical wisdom and intellectual virtues in the Aristotelian framework of contemporary business ethics. In week 5, we will discuss malevolence, insouciance, arrogance, and injustice within the framework of vice epistemology in organisations.

WEEK 1: Distributed Cognition and Mental Institutions

Required reading
Gallagher, S. 2013. The Socially Extended Mind. Cognitive Systems Research, 25-26: 4-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2013.03.008

Suggested reading
Palermos, S. O. 2016. The Dynamics of Group Cognition. Mind & Machines 26: 409-440.


WEEK 2: Leadership and Cooperation in Knowledge Production

Required reading
Frølund, L., Ziethen, M. 2014. The Hermeneutics of Knowledge Creation in Organisations. Philosophy of Management, 13(3): 33-49.

Suggested readings
Bohl, Kenneth W. 2019, Leadership as Phenomenon: Reassessing the Philosophical Ground of Leadership Studies, Philosophy of Management, 18:273–292 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-019-00116
Candiotto, L. 2017. “Boosting cooperation. The beneficial function of positive emotions in dialogical inquiry”, HUMANA.MENTE . Journal of Philosophical Studies, 33: 59–82.


WEEK 3: Situated Affectivity in Organisations

Required reading
Slaby, J. 2016. Mind Invasion: Situated Affectivity and the Corporate Life Hack. Frontiers in Psychology 7, 266. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00266

Suggested readings
Slaby, J., Mühlhoff, R., Wüschner, P. 2019. Affective Arrangements. Emotion Review, 11(1): 3-12.

Petrosyan, A. E. 2019. Regaining the Soul Lost (The Limits of Depersonalization in Organizational Management. Philosophy of Management 18: 131-155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-018-0092-3



WEEK 4: Epistemic Virtues in Organisations

Required reading
de Bruin, B. 2013. Epistemic Virtues in Business. Journal of Business Ethics 113: 583-595.

Suggested readings
Costello, G. J. 2019. The Philosophy of Innovation in Management Education:
a Study Utilising Aristotle’s Concept of Phronesis. Philosophy of Management 18:215–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-018-00104-7

Ogunyemi, K. 2014. Employer Loyalty: The Need for Reciprocity. Philosophy of Management 13 (3): 21-32.

WEEK 5: Epistemic Vices in Organisations

Required reading
Baird, C., Calvard, T. S. 2019. Epistemic Vices in Organizations: Knowledge, Truth, and Unethical Conduct. Journal of Business Ethics, 160:263–276
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3897-z

Suggested reading
Cassam, Q. 2016. Vice epistemology. The Monist, 99: 159-180.

Oral exam about the five readings we discussed in class plus one from the suggested readings (chose it according to the week’s topic you find more interesting and you want to discuss in more details for the exam).
For the students who cannot attend the course but are willing to take the exam: Please also read and study P. Griseri, An Introduction to the Philosophy of Management, SAGE 2013.

Lectures, guided discussions, small-group activities.
It's vital that you come to class (a) having done the reading and (b) prepared to contribute to the discussion on it. This does not mean you should study the reading in advance, but have a general understanding of the topic for being able to address questions and actively participate in discussion. Handouts and outlines of the argument will be provided every week as support.

English

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development