Common sense, functional theories and knowledge of the mind

Good-Bye Dodo Bird (Raphus cucullatus)

Social, organizational, and managerial knowledge regarding human interactions develops incrementally in a cumulative-expansive manner. This article lists seven reasons why. A primary reason is that unlike biological organisms, social knowledge that is rejected becomes knowledge in disuse and is not extinct. It remains in the knowledge pool and may reappear at a later date and under different conditions. Social knowledge is not evolutionary, as claimed by evolutionary epistemologists. Because social knowledge is generated from unique social phenomena, it expands and accumulates by a process of selection and classification that differs considerably from biological evolution. Implications for research in organizations and management issues are listed, particularly with regard to the selection of theories in these areas.