Meanings of Pragmatism

There is a growing interest in pragmatism within organisational and informational studies. Pragmatism has been seen as a viable alternative to positivism and anti-positivism. This paper explores the meanings of pragmatism in terms of implications for how to conduct research on information systems. Its main source of inspiration is the American philosophy of pragmatism. The paper describes the necessity of a focus on actions and practices, how to anchor abstractions in pragmatist ontology, the significance of practical knowledge interests and how to retain a pragmatic focus in inquiry processes. The paper concludes with the formulation of an action manifesto.