What is practical knowledge?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the key dimensions of practical knowledge. It is argued that practical knowledge and practice are two sides of the same phenomenon and possess objective and subjective dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The development of this paper involved an in‐depth review of the workplace learning, cognitive education and practice‐based management literatures supported by Giddens and Habermas' insights on action. Findings The proposed framework complements practice‐oriented management research. While there is a significant body of literature dealing with workplace action‐learning approaches, still it is not clear what approach to use in what situation. The proposed framework might assist in this task since it recognises different configurations of practice and their associated PK. Originality/value This paper integrates parallel literatures from different theoretical backgrounds in order to explain the main dimensions of practical knowledge.