What is Reflection-In-Action? A Phenomenological Account

Building on the work of Donald Schön and phenomenological treatments of practice, we propose a phenomenological theory of reflection‐in‐action that develops this concept further, thereby transcending a number of limitations we find in his theorizing. Our theory includes: an appreciation for the eval...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of management studies Vol. 46; no. 8; pp. 1339 - 1364
Main Authors: Yanow, Dvora, Tsoukas, Haridimos
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2009
Wiley Blackwell
Series:Journal of Management Studies
Subjects:
Appreciation
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Debates
Delineation
Fieldwork
Knowledge
Management science
Management theory
Organization theory
Personality
Phenomenology
Studies
Treatment methods
ISSN:0022-2380, 1467-6486
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Building on the work of Donald Schön and phenomenological treatments of practice, we propose a phenomenological theory of reflection‐in‐action that develops this concept further, thereby transcending a number of limitations we find in his theorizing. Our theory includes: an appreciation for the evaluative dimensions built into competent practice that encourage, if not require, reflecting; a further theorizing of the character of surprise; and a fuller delineation of the character of improvisation in relation to practice and its surprises. We begin with a phenomenological account of cognition in relation to work, especially in its form of professional practice. We reframe Schön's arguments in phenomenological, especially Heideggerian, terms and take account of relatively recent theorizing about knowledge‐based work, illustrating these discussions with a vignette drawn from field research in the world of practice. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these arguments for practitioners as well as for further theorizing.
Bibliography:istex:6ABEC6F17E8E5E3A92BE7F43D0F4E5E268F71748
ArticleID:JOMS859
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Both authors have contributed equally to the writing of this paper.
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ISSN:0022-2380
1467-6486
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00859.x