Wisdom and Knowing in Organizations (WIKO)

Abstract

In recent years, characteristics and dimensions of how “wisdom” is produced and manifested in organizations has received attention of researchers as a hot topic in organizational research. There are wisdom research groups (e.g. in University of Chicago), journal issues (e.g. Academy of Management Learning and Education, June 2013), conference tracks (e.g. EGOS 2010, Lisbon) and numerous books and articles. Wisdom began to again interest researchers when difficulties with boundaries of knowledge and knowledge domains came about. This raised considerations of what knowledge is or can be, battles over “true” knowledge, and how “truth” may differ from “reality”, by whom is knowledge held and how. If knowledge is seen as separate, fixed, discrete, instrumental, cold and unyielding to phenomenal and experiential changes in form and content - when viewed through different normative lenses that are unconsciously and consciously invoked - its potential and actual uses as a living entity in itself and affect to all concerned can be missed.