Environment and Umwelt: Grand Challenges and Intelligent Self-limitation

Morten Knudsen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debateResearchpeer-review

Abstract

This commentary presents an epistemological perspective on grand challenges (GCs) suggesting that the distinction between Umwelt (what social systems observe) and environment (the surrounding but unobserved world) can help us provide deeper analyses of GCs. I argue that indifference to the environment outside the observed Umwelt is a root cause of GCs and suggest that organizations must compensate for society’s inability to address GCs by developing forms of intelligent self-limitation.
Original languageEnglish
JournalBusiness & Society
Number of pages5
ISSN0007-6503
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

Epub ahead of print. Published online: 13 October 2024.

Keywords

  • Grand challenges
  • Umwelt
  • Environment
  • Self-limitation
  • Organizational intelligence

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