Illustrating the need for practical wisdom

In this paper, we present an interpretative case study focused on the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response (CCPR). In particular, we focus on the ambiguities being handled by CCPR executive staff as they develop new knowledge and new practices in the emerging field of catastrophe preparedness. Our case data describe patterns of activity that include storytelling, dialogue with diverse groups of people, and embodied experience. We present a series of first-order findings based on our interpretation of these data, then reflect on those findings both in light of recent research in strategic management studies and in light of recent research in adjacent fields that address the concept of practical wisdom. We then present the second-order finding that the case of CCPR illustrates a need for practical wisdom that exists currently in the field of catastrophe preparedness and more generally among strategic management practitioners. We close by outlining what we see as the implications of this need for strategic management theory and practice.

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