Meaning and interpretation: insights and discourse

Purpose – The paper seeks to analyze the discourse of meaning and interpretation in the social sciences. It aims to provide a historical overview of the hermeneutics and the need for scientific as well as general understanding, and to emphasize the importance of the interpretive approach in management history. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an in‐depth literature review of interpretation. Findings – Interpretative approach is a basic building block of all science and management praxis. Research limitations/implications – Literature is limited to social science. Practical implications – The paper highlights the importance of interpretation in management dialogue and praxis, vis‐à‐vis a sole reliance on rationalistic methods. Originality/value – The originality of the paper lies in the scope of its literature review and the broad understanding it provides for management praxis.