Developing A Field with More Soul: Standpoint theory and Public Policy Research for Management Scholars

Abstract

The article discusses standpoint theory and public policy research for management scholars. Many management scholars believe that partisanship should be purged from scientific research and theory development, arguing that politics has no role in the process of knowledge creation. Many also hold that it is inappropriate for scholars to engage actively in the application of knowledge. Standpoint theory provides guidance for where to begin inquiry, and what and how to study. Its primary recommendation is for researchers to identify and examine how dominant institutions and their conceptual frameworks create and maintain oppressive social relations.