The When of Knowing

Abstract

A commitment to logico-scientific forms of knowing still dominates organization theory. Recently, narrative knowing and sensemaking have emerged as alternatives, but these approaches still identify the past as the locus for knowledge. Athird alternative, linked to concepts such as tacit knowledge, suggests that knowing can happen directly within the present but largely lacks the theoretical grounding that would make its practical implementation possible. To remedy this lack, this article introduces the future as a temporal locus for knowing. It distinguishes the told stories of narrative theory from the lived stories that shape human experience and invites a focus on the dynamic of the lived story rather than its content. A knowing open to the emerging, unknown future can be an invaluable resource for shaping organizational change, responding to a rapidly changing environment, integrating personal with organizational concerns, and exploring the ends that organizations serve.