Cognition, knowing and learning in the flesh: Six views on embodied knowing in organization studies

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of management 2013-12, Vol.29 (4), p.338-352
• Main Author: Gärtner, Christian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Embodied cognition; Embodiment; Knowledge; Learning; Socio-materiality
• ISSN: 0956-5221; 1873-3387
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2013.07.005

•Specification of six different views on embodiment in organization studies.•Description of these views’ contributions as well as their (meta-)theoretical challenges.•Identification of mutual enrichment and the most promising account that provides a platform for integrating insights from other views. During the last two decades, there has been a fresh wave of interest in embodiment and its role for knowledgeable behaviour and how people learn at work. There are multiple understandings of what embodiment is and how it impacts cognition, knowing and learning. On the one hand, scholars have referred to different (meta-)theoretical conceptions of embodiment which bears the risk of conflating assumptions, omitting crucial analytic perspectives and drawing unwarranted conclusions. On the other hand, having a clear understanding of the several notions of embodiment and their contributions to studying cognition, knowledge and learning allows specifying which perspectives are compatible and can mutually enhance each other. Untangling the various accounts of embodiment in organization studies and delineating their contributions and limits as well as possibilities for mutual enrichment are the main objectives of this review. Six different views are identified. After having outlined their contributions to organization studies, their shortcomings and unwarranted conclusions are discussed. By comparing the different conceptualizations, the paper generates questions and conclusions for further research. It is argued that practice-based notions of embodiment provide a promising platform for integrating insights from other views.