From the Western value system, two kinds of ontological and epistemological standpoints are characterized in Management and Social Sciences research; realist ontology and subjectivist ontology or objectivist epistemology and subjectivist epistemology. The kind of ontology and epistemology a researcher commits to has inherent effects towards the researcher’s way of contributing new knowledge. This short communication attempts to contribute new knowledge to the literature of philosophical standpoints in management research by discussing the ontological and epistemological stances with respect to Islam. It (...) was shown that the Islamic viewpoint of ontology and epistemology is in the middle side between realist - subjectivist ontology and between objectivist – subjectivist epistemology. This stance of Islam on ontology and epistemology as elaborated in the Qur’an and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad increases the resilience with which knowledge is contributed in a holistic manner regardless of social, cultural or political backgrounds. (shrink)

This reader introduces a number of important viewpoints central to social constructionism and charts the development of social constructionist thought.

This latest book by one the world's leading protagonists in the field will be welcomed not just by psychologists but by students, academics and professionals interested in social constructionism across a wide range of subjects. Social Construction in Context explores the potentials of social constructionist theory when placed in diverse intellectual and practical contexts. It demonstrates the achievements of social constructionism, and what it can now offer various fields of inquiry, both academic, professional and applied, given the proliferation of the (...) theory across the social sciences and humanities. (shrink)

Appreciative management support organizations, especially in the process of development of the human resources. Appreciative management, considered as a management centred on excellence, is based on the filosophy of appreciative inquiry. Any organization can apply this model starting with the process of recruitment. The process of employment requires each time a new beginning for the organization. New employees should be introduced carefully in the organizational culture and also must be provided with a confortable environment. Appreciative management provides an innovative way (...) of development of any organization. Is very important as well that the manager know how to apply amoung with this, the process of peer education and also peer supervision. Also, a special place in this paper will be on appreciative management applied during the employment and the integration proces of new employees. We believe that the application of Appreciative Management, during the recruitment processes and the integration of new employees, can prevent any organizational crisis. (shrink)