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Epistemological Perspective

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This is a question in preparation for my dissertation:

What is knowledge? How is knowledge acquired? How do we know what we know? Is it possible to have knowledge at all?

In what ways does the choice of an epistemological perspective or stance influence the formulation of a management research problem?

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The following posting discusses the epistemological perspective.

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I am going to answer your question based on my education and experience. I hope that this will help you develop your own ideas about these various questions in order to prepare for your dissertation. I think, possibly, dissertation may mean something different for you and this course than what I would consider a dissertation. For me, a dissertation is something that you do for a doctorate degree or certification. However, I think my response will be general enough to help you regardless of how you are defining ?dissertation?.

What is knowledge?

This seems like such an easy, straight forward question. However, knowledge means different things to different people and in different situations. For instance, knowledge can be a series of facts, data, or principles that you have gained through study, experience, and your education. Knowledge can also be expertise in a particular field. I have knowledge in the field of leadership, due to study and my education. You have knowledge of the world around through the simple things you see, experience, and process. Knowledge can also be a mental state; merely knowing something. So, knowledge can mean many different things based on your personal schema and the constraints of the situation. A schema can be thought of as a framework for dealing with information. That brings up another question you can consider when trying to answer this question. Is knowledge simply information? Is knowledge always mental or does it ever become corporeal?

How is knowledge acquired?

How do we acquire knowledge? As thinking creatures, we acquire knowledge through a variety of ways. These can include observation, ...

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