Epistemological and Methodological Aspects of the Philosophy of Management: Uncertainty, Risk, Decision-Making

The article deals with some topical aspects of the philosophy of management. The author believes the philosophy of management to be a new branch of philosophical knowledge, the emergence of which is primarily caused by the role and importance of management both in the life of the modern society and the individual. The philosophy of management is meant to serve as a common conceptual and interdisciplinary basis, providing a holistic perception and understanding of the phenomenon of management. Uncertainty is part of all serious tasks related to human activity, and it is true both for economic, political, ecological decisions and for the life of an individual. It is equally important that uncertainty is not only a factor, but also an indispensable attribute of most managerial decisions. Modern management is, first of all, management in the conditions of uncertainty and risk. The author presents his methodological position, which takes risk to be always related to the subject and the decisions he takes. The choice of an alternative in a risk environment is based on a certain model of rational activity, but the real decisions that people make do not always correspond to this model. Nevertheless, it is shown that rationality and risk are not antipodes, and decision-making in a risk environment is, first of all, a conscious and rational choice. The paper shows the methodological significance of normative decision-making models, which serve as reference points and a methodological basis for actions of a person facing a difficult choice problem.

Keywords: the philosophy of management, uncertainty, risk, society, organization, rationality, decision-making, methodology.