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Realist Inquiry

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Handbook of Philosophy of Management

Part of the book series: Handbooks in Philosophy ((HP))

Abstract

Realism has become an influential philosophical foundation that has increasingly informed research in management studies. Realism, which assumes that the world external to the subject is mind-independent, offers a particularly attractive way out of the anthropocentrism and idealism in much contemporary research in management studies that detaches theorizing from its material conditions. This becomes especially problematic when understanding and handling the “Grand Challenges” closely connected with our material existence in the world. In this chapter, three different versions of realism – empirical, critical, and scientific realism – are introduced, and it is discussed how the latter two have informed management studies in terms of ontology, epistemology, and praxeology. Finally, some recommendations for future research are summarized.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management and Technology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

    Stefanie Habersang

  2. UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Natalia Nikolova

  3. School of Management and Technology, Institute of Management and Organization, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

    Markus Reihlen

Authors
  1. Markus Reihlen
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  2. Stefanie Habersang
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  3. Natalia Nikolova
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Markus Reihlen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Cristina Neesham

  2. School of Management and Technology Institute of Management and Organization, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany

    Markus Reihlen

  3. Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC), Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Dennis Schoeneborn

Section Editor information

  1. Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Professur für Strategisches Management, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Deutschland

    Markus Reihlen

  2. Department of Management, Society & Communication (MSC), Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Dänemark

    Dennis Schoeneborn

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Reihlen, M., Habersang, S., Nikolova, N. (2022). Realist Inquiry. In: Neesham, C., Reihlen, M., Schoeneborn, D. (eds) Handbook of Philosophy of Management. Handbooks in Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76606-1_51

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