The Convergence of Knowledge: Through the Dialectical Coexistence of Holism and Specialism

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
fatemehsadat mir 1
seyed mehdi alvani 2
hamed dehghanan 3
1 allamehtabatabaei uni
2 atu. iran
3 atu
10.22047/hsd.2025.503243.1061
Abstract
The longstanding conflict between holism and specialism has remained a significant point of contention within the sciences, particularly in the field of management studies. This paper examines the theoretical foundations of both holism and specialism, their historical evolution, and their implications for contemporary managerial practices. In this research, we employed a systematic review methodology, analyzing 120 peer-reviewed articles related to holism and specialism. The first phase of data analysis was conducted using content analysis, while the second phase involved NVivo software to generate a knowledge map and identify core conceptual clusters. The findings reveal that a balanced integration of holistic and specialized perspectives is essential for effective decision-making and fostering organizational innovation. Each approach—holism and specialism—offers distinct advantages and disadvantages. Drawing on interdisciplinary sources and utilizing dialectical logic as a conceptual framework, we propose a synthesized model to address this longstanding theoretical gap, which we term the Dialectical Coexistence of Holism and Specialism. This model suggests that by combining both approaches and implementing integration strategies, organizations can transcend binary conflicts and leverage the unique strengths of each paradigm, thus advancing toward optimal and context-responsive management solutions.
Keywords
Science
Holism
Specialism
Organizational and Management Studies
Knowledge Integration
Conflict
Dialectical Coexistence of Holism and Specialism
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Development of humanities
Volume 6, Issue 11 - Serial Number 11
Humanities
Volume 6, Spring & Summer 2025, No.11
September 2025
Pages 219-237