O livre arbítrio epistemológico na administraçãoThis essay tries to argue in favor of free will in the dilemma that opposes it to determinism as a research assumption in management. Exceptional behavior, objectives, values, and believes are an inevitable part of management subject matter. There is no way off the assumption of free will. This comes out of modern cognitive science. It does not allow the exclusion of mental representations as real entities. Deterministic chaos also does not authorize an immediate identity between explanation and prevision. And the assumption of simplicity in the subject matter of management is not acceptable. A system concept of science was born and prospers. Thus, a priori determinism is not tenable anymore. But there is a reservation. The subject here is kept at the epistemological level. Even if valid at the ontological level, the reality of free will is not needed as a foundation for research in management.