ABSTRACT
Paradoxically, it is in business activity where the adjective "pragmatic" is most often employed, to emphasize that in the world of business what counts is economic results: that these trump all other considerations. For Charles S. Peirce, the pragmatic maxim had a logical ground within a broader field of the research process, which in turn was to be understood within the context of the sciences. This chapter analyzes how human action is understood according to the Peircean categories. It addresses the relation between theory and practice. Based on the normative sciences, the chapter addresses three principles in Peirce's thought which may enhance understanding of human action in general, and the action of business managers in particular. Based on each of the normative sciences, a principle which serves as a guideline for confronting managerial action can be formulated. The principles of creativity, community, and character will correspond to logic, ethics, and aesthetics.
