Philosophical Underpinnings of Islamic Management Method: Worldview, Epistemology and Ontology
Fadzila Azni Ahmad

Abstract
This article focusses on the discussion pertaining to the philosophical underpinnings of Islamic management method. It represents the elements that should form the basis of determining and characterising Islamic management method and to differentiate it with the conventional management method. The basic elements referred to are worldview (tasawur), epistemology and ontology of the management mehod itself. The conventional management method is used extensively in almost all institutions including Islamic development institutions. For example, the Total Quality Management (TQM), the Quality Control Cirlces (QCC) and the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) have often been used to manage a substantial part of today’s Islamic development institutions. The question which arises is whether these conventional management method are appropriate to be adopted in managing the Islamic development institutions or the Islamic based development itself? Does it have sufficient analytical instruments to examine and decipher management challenges and even more so to offer management solutions according to Islam? This article seeks to address these issues with the focus of discussion on the three elements that have become the fundamental basis of assessing the underlying philosophic assumptions of management method that is the mould or tasawur (worldview), its basis of knowledge or epistemology and its characteristics or ontology.

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