Practical wisdom and the workplace researcher

Abstract

This paper addresses the form of enquiry appropriate for the workplace researcher. The first part of the paper is used to introduce the main themes of phronesis and relies heavily on Aristotle and Heidegger. It is argued that practical wisdom developed through experience of practical judgements offers a form of enquiry appropriate for the complexity of the workplace. The discussion is then positioned in terms of the activities of the worker researcher and suggests that workplace researchers ought to aspire toward being practically wise within their enquiry and seek to anticipate the impact on the welfare of the community within which they dwell.