Abstract

“The unexamined life is not worth living” (Socrates). That is, without critically inquiring into the knowledge of life which is well-being and valuable, life is not worth living. Critical thinking questions existing theories and their unexamined and obsessive assumptions and generalizations, constraints, and “best” practices of the prevailing system of management and tries to replace them with more valid assumptions and generalizations that uphold the dignity, uniqueness, and inalienable rights of the individual person and the community. Better outcomes result from asking the right questions than from having the right answers. In the diverse, pluralist cultural environment of today, the promise of a truly generative dialog among Occidental (Western) and Oriental (Eastern) cultures and civilizations holds great hope for the future. Critical thinking (CT) is an “inclusive” thinking system that can facilitate this dialog such that all of us have a meaningful space and place in this universe. After defining CT and arguing its importance for executives, this chapter introduces CT in two parts: Part 1: Various Approaches to Critical Thinking; Part 2: Major Theories of Critical Thinking. Several contemporary business cases will be invoked to illustrate the need, nature, and scope of corporate CT.

Highlights

  • The word critical means to question, to make sense of, or able to analyze

  • The word critical is related to the word criticize that implies questioning and evaluation in a constructive way

  • At an initial and etymological level, critical thinking is thinking that questions and challenges our past and present thinking on subjects and objects, their properties, and events

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Summary

Executive Summary

“The unexamined life is not worth living” (Socrates). Without critically inquiring into the knowledge of life which is well-being and valuable, life is not worth living. Critical thinking questions existing theories and their unexamined and obsessive assumptions and generalizations, constraints, and “best” practices of the prevailing system of management and tries to replace them with more valid assumptions and generalizations that uphold the dignity, uniqueness, and inalienable rights of the individual person and the community. Critical thinking (CT) is an “inclusive” thinking system that can facilitate this dialog such that all of us have a meaningful space and place in this universe. After defining CT and arguing its importance for executives, this chapter introduces CT in two parts: Part 1: Various Approaches to Critical Thinking; Part 2: Major Theories of Critical Thinking. Several contemporary business cases will be invoked to illustrate the need, nature, and scope of corporate CT

Introduction
Why Do We Need Critical Thinking?
A Moral Canvas for Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking as Making Better Sense of the World Around Us
Critical Thinking as Reflective Thinking
Critical Thinking as Questioning and Challenging
Critical Thinking as Spiritual Intelligence
Critical Thinking as Valuing Resources Hierarchically
Critical Thinking as Building on Your Strengths
Critical Thinking and Defensive Routines (See Peter Senge, 2006, The Fifth
Critical Thinking Applied to Human Resource Management
Critical
Ethical Analysis of Consequences
Findings
Concluding Remarks
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