"Narrative fallacy" in managerial learning

GATARIK, Eva and Rainer BORN. "Narrative fallacy" in managerial learning. In OLKC 2017: Organizational Learning Knowledge and Capabilities, University of Valladolid, Spain, 26.-28.4. 2017.

Basic information

• Original name: "Narrative fallacy" in managerial learning
• Authors: GATARIK, Eva (40 Austria, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Rainer BORN (40 Austria, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: OLKC 2017: Organizational Learning Knowledge and Capabilities, University of Valladolid, Spain, 26.-28.4. 2017.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 50600 5.6 Political science
• Country of publisher: Spain
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14560/17:00096865
• Organization unit: Faculty of Economics and Administration
• Keywords in English: engagement in managerial learning; background knowledge; problem-solving competence; the Language – Information – Reality (LIR) framework; analytical philosophy
• Tags: Reviewed

Abstract

When defending his doctoral dissertation, Umberto Eco was accused of narrative fallacy, because he presented his research as if it were a detective novel. Instead, he should have presented only his conclusions. This critique, however, inspired Umberto Eco with the idea that ‘Every scientific book should be ... the report of a quest for some Holy Grail.’ This ‘quest’ presupposes engagement on both sides of a knowledge transfer. Built upon our own research, we shall provide a model-theoretic scheme within the bounds of management to support the practicability of Eco’s claim. The idea of the method we introduce is to re-create engagement in establishing problem-solving competence in managerial learning: We start with an analysis of case-studies about successful managerial problem solutions where abstractions and explanations occur. Next, we attempt to find a common denominator between the successful solutions. Lastly, we analyze re-placement, i.e. the re-instantiating of the principles found in the previous step by applying them in new problem situations, and thus providing new uses for them. When defending his doctoral dissertation, Umberto Eco was accused of narrative fallacy, because he presented his research as if it were a detective novel. Instead, he should have presented only his conclusions. This critique, however, inspired Umberto Eco with the idea that ‘Every scientific book should be ... the report of a quest for some Holy Grail.’ This ‘quest’ presupposes engagement on both sides of a knowledge transfer. Built upon our own research, we shall provide a model-theoretic scheme within the bounds of management to support the practicability of Eco’s claim.