Phenomenology and the Reflective Practitioner

This article asks in what sense phenomenology could contribute to reflection as part of organizational practice. It discusses Berger and Luckmann's view of the role of language in reality construction and, in reaction, argues that Husserl's method of phenomenological clarification is helpful in order to find proper, valid concepts for dealing with practical organizational affairs. The value of clarification is illustrated by the case of the `patient as customer' and by discussing Schön's idea of the reflective practitioner.