Beyond the business/society dichotomy: The rich topicality of Gilbert Simondon’s ontological and epistemological schemas
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to look at three management research papers, which are placed in dialogue with Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy.
Design/methodology/approach
Notable research articles are subjected to a thorough de-construction and re-construction process, as they are examined through the lens of Gilbert Simondon’s ontological and epistemological perspectives.
Findings
Some solutions to epistemological antinomies underpinning management science are proposed, by relying on Simondonian paradigms.
Research limitations/implications
This paper involved no direct field study. The transcendental status of Simondon’s propositions is briefly called into question but is not addressed per se.
Social implications
Showing the fuzziness, not to say irrelevance, of efforts to make a strict demarcation between business and society, as illustrated by qualitative meta-analyses of management science cases.
Originality/value
Simondon’s importance is barely beginning to be acknowledged in the field of Social and Management Science. This paper takes a step toward rectifying this oversight by providing scholars with an introduction to his main concepts and illustrates how they might be transposed into management science by subjecting management scholarly papers to his “experiments of thought” approach.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This special section was based on a selection of the best manuscripts submitted to the EURAM (2013) conference on Business and Society, Strategic Interest Group. As co-chair (with Julienne Brabet and Corinne Vercher) of the Business and Society General Track, the authors would like, first, to thank the journal’s editor for entrusting us with this special issue, and, of course, all the contributors, who submitted more than 100 papers to the conference. After a triple-blind review, barely two-thirds were ultimately selected for presentation at more than 20 sessions, each moderated by one chair and one discussant. A special thanks to Julienne Brabet, a former student of Gilbert Simondon, whose careful readings and suggestions made it possible to improve certain texts, often with the valuable assistance of Corinne Vercher. The authors also thank Randall Cherry for his help with editing this article.
Citation
Jardat, R. (2014), "Beyond the business/society dichotomy: The rich topicality of Gilbert Simondon’s ontological and epistemological schemas", Society and Business Review, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 112-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBR-03-2014-0010
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited