Posted by Yogesh Malhotra on June 24, 1997 at 18:13:05:

In Reply to: Re: Correction to previous message. posted by Mezei on June 24, 1997 at 14:01:29:

You raise an interesting question... how can we have multiple
'purposes' existing simultaneously... Our multiple purposes already
exist simultaneously, each individual is trying to act in accordance
with [presumably] some purpose or objective... essentially most human
interactions seem to be occurring within a web of purposive relationships
that may be explicit or implicit. A simplistic example may be of a market
for any commodity which is made of buyers, suppliers, market makers, and
any other stakeholders. Most of them engage in the 'market making' activity
that serves everyone's purpose. The same example may be extended to
the instance of information or knowledge as a commodity.

However, the scenario that you are referring to seems like what is
perceived as a situation representing two individuals acting at
cross-purposes... a situation within which multiple purposes exist, however
they are incompatible. This scenario would occur in most situations
that represent any conflict of human interactions. One cannot assert
that such situations can be totally ruled out, however there are conflict
management strategies for dealing with such situations. Many such strategies
involve getting the various parties 'listen' to the other sides in the
'active' process of seeking the sources of conflict. Often such conflicts
could be resolved by referring to what is 'shared' between the various
purposes. Referring to the earlier message about seeking a balance between
'organizational' and 'individual' purposes, such processes may involve
explicit recognition of multiple purposes, while attempting to find the
synergy between them. If we scratch below the surface, we would often
find that sharing of such views may facilitate understanding of one or
more ways in which this synergy can be generated. In the contrary case,
there isn't much existing for the basis of the reciprocal purposive
relationship, hence one may observe conflict, until it is resolved, or
until the relationship is terminated.

The key point is twofold: first, multiple purposes already exist, what is
needed is an explicit recognition of this multiplicity; second, a better
understanding of these purposes is needed for finding the possibility
of synergy. In the context of learning, or knowledge creation, an
analogous process would be dialog (Bohm, Senge), essentially a process
that facilitates the channelizing of diverse opinions, beliefs, assumptions
without any fear of retribution.

There is an aspect different than the one mentioned by you about 'tacit'
and 'explicit' knowledge: it is the emergent nature of knowledge in the
process of dialog. Tacit assumptions are often unknown even to the
individual who holds them, the process of inquiry or dialog facilitates
the surfacing of such assumptions... not only does the individual attempt
to make one's tacit assumptions explicit, but also gathers a better
awareness of one's own tacit assumptions... in situ.

- Yogesh

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Follow Ups:

• Re: Multiple Purposes, Tacit Assumptions and Conflict Resolution Mezei 10:43:22 6/25/97 (0)

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