06201113 - Philosophy of Science in Management

Managerial practices claim to be scientific in their statements. But is this statement credible? What is scientific and what is not? Is management specific to the social sciences? If so, how can we characterize it? This is the aim of this course.

Estimation of private study (outside of contact hours): 60 hours

DIMENSION OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The epistemology of management science necessarily addresses the question of the ethics of practices. It therefore places at the heart of its thinking the analysis of the social and societal responsibility of management in its decisions and positions.

TARGETED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

Knowledge to be acquired:
- basic knowledge of the history of the philosophy of science
- understand the major scientific movements in general
- integrate the specificities of the social sciences
- understand the specificities of management sciences

Target skills:
- know how to identify an issue dealing with the status of knowledge
- know how to articulate knowledge and practice in a managerial environment
- take a step back from one's practices and identify cognitive biases common in management

PRESCRIBED TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS

1. Martinet, A.C., Epistémologie et sciences de gestion, Economica, 1990 (in French)
2. Crumley II, J., An introduction to epistemology, 2019, Broadview
3. Morgan, G., Images of Organization, 1990.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS

1. Chalmers, A.F., What is this thing called science?, Open Univ. Press, 1999? 3rd ed.
2. Renouard, C., Ethique et entreprise, la Découverte, 2015.

EMBLEMATIC BOOKS OR RESEARCH PAPERS REGARDING THE SUBJECT OF THE COURSE

1. DICKS, H., The Biomimicry Revolution: Learning from Nature How to Inhabit the Earth, Columbia Univ. Press, 2023

TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS OF IAELYON FACULTY ON THE SUBJECT OF THE COURSE  

1. VINOT, D., HUSSON, J., CAPGRAS, JB, La société en projet, ESKA MA ed, 2025.
2. ROGER, A., VINOT, D., Skills Management : new perspectives, ISTE, 2018.
3. PIERRON, J.-Ph., VINOT, D., CHELLE, E., Les valeurs du soin : Enjeux éthiques, économiques et politiques, Paris, Seli Arslan, 2018
4. VINOT, D., « Quelles fertilisations croisées entre la recherche en sciences sociales et la formation continue ? Des nécessités épistémologiques aux modalités méthodologiques », in Mélanges en l’honneur de Marie-France Callu, Paris : LexisNexis, avril 2013.
5. CLAVERANNE, JP, VINOT, D., « Le chercheur, la gouvernance et le management de projet : Plaidoyer pour une réconciliation entre rêve et responsabilité sociale », in MARCHESNAY, M. & LE ROY, F., (dir.) La responsabilité sociale d’entreprise, Mélanges en l’honneur du Pr. Roland Pérez, Montpellier : EMS, 2005.

Individual grade
Oral presentation. Quality and clarity of the presentation of the concepts/ main ideas. Critical Analysis regarding International Management and Sustainable Development
20min 

Other grade(s)
Grading during class
Dissertation from a comparison of 2 texts of epistemology of management science, 3h

Weight: 50% - 50%

NATURE OF MATERIALS

Books (extracts), videos, powerpoint support, in-live tests to experiment cognitive bias 

TEACHING INNOVATIONS AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Moodle platform and use of the “Learning Lab” of the university to favor interactive exchanges.

PRE-REQUISITES IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
ADVISED PRIOR READING

1. Popper, K., The Logic of Scientific Discovery, various editions from 1965 to 2002
2. Sulkoswky, L., Epistemology of management, Peter Lang AG, 2013 
3. Hatchuel, A., Segrestin, B., Refonder l’entreprise, Le Seuil, 2012.