The nature of business and management research - Research philosophies

Question

What are the three main research philosophies?

Answer 1

Positivism, interpretivism and realism

Answer 2

Basic principles:

1. The social world exists externally (and therefore cannot be influenced) and is viewed objectively

2. Research is value-free

3. The researcher is independent, taking the role of an objective analyst

Basic assumptions:

1. The social world is observed by collecting objective facts. (all objective facts are observable, since the social world exists externally and hence cannot be influenced)

2. The social world consists of simple elements to which it can be reduced (Leads to the singling out of one explanation to the phenomena, leaving out other aspects)

Answer 3

- Observable facts are objective because they are external

- the social world is observed by collecting objective facts

- the social world consists of simple elements to which it can be reduced, distilling elements and reducting htem to fundamental laws is the best way to investigate a phenomenon.

Positivistic studies usually use one explanation and deliberately neglect other aspects which are investigated by seperate studies.

Answer 4

Objective observation is impossible! Social world is constructed. Knowledge developed and theory built through developing ideas inducted from observed and interpreted social constructions.

Making sense of what is happening.

Understand subjective realities and offer interpretative explanations.

--> social phenomena can be only understood by looking at thet totality.

Making sense of how people interpret the world, understanding motiviations, etc.

Answer 5

The social world is constructed and is given meaning subjectively by people
The researcher is part of what is observed

Research is driven by interests

Answer 6

The social world is observed by seeing what meanings people give to it and interpreting these meanings from their viewpoint.
Social phenomena can only be understood by looking at the totality.

Answer 7

A deduction is valid when it is impossible for the conclusion to be false if the permises are true.

If one of the permises is not true, the conclusion can also not be true.

Answer 8

Induction occurs when we obsere a fact and ask: "why is this?", in answer to this we come with a tentative explanation (hypothesis).The hypothesis is plausible if it explains the event or condition that prompted the question. Deduction is the process by which we test whether the hypothesis is capable of explaining the fact.