Running Head: Report on Research Paradigm

BUS604 Assessment-2

Report on Research Paradigm

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Introduction

Research helps to discover or gather knowledge regarding a situation or topic effectively.

Research also explores and differentiates behaviours, expectations or preferences and

demands, which assists in creating sound decisions or fostering relationships. Organisations

in the current era cannot manage business challenges and ensure positive growth if they do

not research the demands or needs of consumers and employees. Management of all types of

organisations needs to develop and use effective research methods to understand potential

risks associated with business processes to develop realistic solutions. Besides, enterprises

also investigate changing trends by predicting and analysing different perspectives of

consumers. Efficiency all these business studies or researches are reliant on used research

paradigms and relevant philosophies. Therefore, business managers and analysts have to

learn different aspects of research paradigms to guarantee effective results. The paper would

highlight diverse research paradigms, philosophies, and related methodologies, which would

help to select appropriate research paradigms and methods in different situations. Further, an

overview regarding contentious and problematic issues will also be discussed, which would

guide researchers to avoid such issues.

Literature Review

Various studies depicted the importance of a suitable paradigm in producing reliable results.

It is reported that an issue or situation can be viewed or perceived from diverse perspectives

and each perspective translates the situation or truth differently. The statement indicates if the

management or researcher could not explore and determine the best perspective, it would

affect the research methods as well as results. Accurate and comprehensive knowledge of

research paradigms can guide management to gather information related to specific themes or

organisational contexts. Thus, they can define or change strategic business objectives,
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leadership styles, workplace policies, and business processes according to situations. Besides,

business researchers also need to comprehend the core idea of research onion, as it highlights

the overall framework for research effectively.

Research Onion

Saunders, a renowned academic researcher defined the framework in 2007. The structure of

the framework is quite similar to onion (Abdul et al., 2020).

Figure: Research Onion

Source: (Mitchell, 2018)

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The first layer represents different philosophies or paradigms of research. Various

philosophies defined by Saunders are discussed here. However, various other paradigms are

also derived from these philosophies, which are shown in the figure.

Objectivism: This paradigm observes or investigates issues and viewpoints based on facts and

social patterns, which increase objectivity.

Constructivism: The paradigm analyses knowledge and facts of people to construct certain

perspectives or understand issues (Iguisi, 2018).

Positivism: It reviews an idea or topic with specific viewpoints by which it is accepted or

acknowledged in society.

Interpretivism: The paradigm investigates and interprets social viewpoints to understand

different aspects of a situation or topic. Beliefs and experiences of the involved society

influence the outcome.

Realism: Pertinent facts are gathered and thoroughly reviewed to acquire realistic results. All

known facts and ideas are rejected.

Pragmatism: This paradigm interprets ideas and information with both constructive and

objective perspectives, which enhances the clarity of findings.

Three types of philosophies are also highlighted for each paradigm.

Ontology: It focuses on investigating or exploring facts or truth to understand perspectives

and reality. The objective approach is used to gather coherent knowledge relevant to the issue

(Melnikovas, 2018).
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Epistemology: The philosophy observes different actions, events, and facts to perceive social

or individual viewpoints. Thus, the accuracy of the research can be influenced by human

behaviour, which is a contentious issue and ethical concern (Friday & Mbah, 2019).

Axiology: This research philosophy observes various perspectives to understand a topic and

also checks the validity of these perspectives, which increases the viability of the study

outcome.

The second layer shows different types of research approaches. The causal relationship

between study variables is explored and established with a deductive approach by gathering

data systematically (Abdul et al., 2020). On the other hand, the inductive approach examines

different perspectives or behaviours of humans to test research hypotheses and obtain logical

outcomes.

Different strategies of research are highlighted in the third layer, which also influences data

collection methods. Experiments, case studies, interviews, and surveys are popular research

strategies. Besides, archival research, grounded theory, and ethnography are also used in

various contexts (Mitchell, 2018).

The fourth layer describes methods of research. The mono method refers to using qualitative

or quantitative methods individually. Besides, the use of both methods for gathering

quantitative (factual) and qualitative (subjective) data is called the mixed method.

The fifth layer defines the type of research based on its duration. Cross-sectional research

refers to short-term research studies. Longitudinal research investigates diverse concepts and

takes significant time (Mitchell, 2018).

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The methods of data collection and analysis are highlighted in the sixth layer. Typically,

qualitative data is analysed by using the thematic method and quantitative data is analysed by

statistical methods and tools.

Management philosophies of research

Management of both small and large organisations needs effective policies and methods to

motivate employees and manage marketing and other business challenges. Besides, they also

need to research changing trends, trading laws, and operation standards while operating in a

competitive market. However, organisations cannot make effective decisions or policies if

they do not understand the demands of workers and consumers (Mehra, 2018). Four

paradigms or research can be used by business managers and analysts to discover information

or analyse a situation and make rational decisions. Different components of these paradigms

are highlighted based on managerial and organisational perspectives.

Realism Paradigm

The paradigm outlines the experience of everyone as a different reality or truth and observes

it to be valid. Business managers utilising the realist approach collect facts and develop

decisions based on the reasoning of these facts (Arnold et al., 2019). However, the individual

experience of managers can also influence decisions. Although the core idea of realism is

quite simple, failure to integrate the experience of all stakeholders or employees would affect

the research. Diverse details and facts related to an issue such as organisational performance,

employee motivation or satisfaction, and market trends can be investigated with realism.

Epistemology of Realism: The research philosophy states that reality cannot be understood

without aggregating information. Thus, realist managers using epistemological perspectives

collect data to analyse diverse opportunities or challenges. Typically, financial problems,

poor performance, and various other real-world problems can be resolved with the
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epistemological framework of realism (Thakkar, 2020). Nevertheless, management needs to

accumulate sufficient information related to the research problem to develop realistic

decisions.

Ontology of Realism: Ontological realism inspects objective ideas related to a topic and

helps the manager to understand different types of issues, which can be related to production

problems, employee performance, or other organisational problems. Management often

discusses a topic with stakeholders and highlight as well as justify its implications in the real

world, which help to validate facts with opinions of stakeholders. For instance, the realist

manager can gather facts to understand reasons for poor performance and develop solutions

through discussions and research (Mehra, 2018). Realist ontology can also guide managers to

boost profitability and sales by developing excellent business strategies based on objective

data.

Axiology of Realism: Various issues and correlated factors are closely examined with an

axiological perspective. Besides, management integrates ethical perspectives while

developing solutions. Such an approach helps to avoid moral or legal challenges.

Management can improve positive morale among employees with axiological realism.

Besides, managers can improve the accuracy of business decisions and strategies with this

research philosophy, as it measures the suitability and appropriateness of each decision

before developing and implementing it (Thakkar, 2020). Thus, realist managers can mitigate

both external and internal issues by using axiological studies.

Methodology: It is reported that realism utilises the quantitative method for gathering

measurable and factual data. Sometimes, the mixed method is also applied to investigate

complex problems and situations related to an organisation or industry. Typically, the

inductive approach is employed in realistic researches, which helps to construct and validate
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hypotheses and related facts (Melnikovas, 2018). Nonetheless, the deductive approach also

can be used in certain situations. Survey is the commonly used method or strategy for data

collection. Besides, experiments and case studies are also utilised.

Problematic and contentious issues: Ontological and epistemological frameworks of realism

could not ensure validity and reliability of facts or perspectives, which is a contentious issue.

The collection of insufficient data can restrict researchers and managers to correlate facts or

opinions with the research topic (Thakkar, 2020). Thus, it is a major problem of realism.

Further, ethical perspectives are not included when ontology and epistemology are used,

which reduces the efficiency of crucial decisions and often creates bias.

Interpretivism Paradigm

According to the concept of interpretivism, realities are defined or created based on various

perspectives of stakeholders. Besides, the paradigm also states that the business environment

changes periodically according to the perspectives of customers, employees, and other

stakeholders (Johannessen et al., 2020). Therefore, management needs to explore the

viewpoints of all stakeholders to comprehend expectations and gaps in terms of the current

situation. The interceptive paradigm or interpretivism enables managers to check the

appropriateness of business policies and processes and make useful changes according to the

needs and expectations of different stakeholders. Managers using this research paradigm can

recognise various reasons for dissatisfaction precisely and respond to these problems

systemically.

Epistemology of Interpretivism: Different perceptions of all associated stakeholders are

recognised with the research philosophy. Exploring common perceptions in the current

environment helps to identify issues, opportunities, and required changes appropriately.

Comprehensive knowledge regarding the research topic and goal is vital for ensuring
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effective interpretation and creation of well-accepted solutions (Riaz, 2019). The work

culture and behaviour of stakeholders often play a critical role in this paradigm.

Ontology of Interpretivism: Diverse managerial and social concepts are observed and

interpreted with ontological interpretivism. For example, perspectives of employees

regarding work culture and organisational performance can be investigated with this

paradigm. The expected changes in the workplace can be determined with such studies

(Pavlova & Saenko, 2017). However, managers have to prioritise current opinions to develop

solutions to problems, as the inclusion of prior beliefs, opinions, and standards would affect

the decisions. Besides, objective feedback of customers can also be used with ontological

interpretivism to improve products and services.

Axiology of Interpretivism: It highlights that the moral perspective of business strategies and

solutions is highly influenced by organisational values and approaches. If the manager of an

organisation wants to develop an ethical and productive atmosphere, he/she needs to gather

the opinions of various stakeholders to comprehend their viewpoint regarding the situation.

Thus, the interpretivist manager can develop a positive culture and mitigate conflicts and

other issues with axiological philosophy (Kawaguchi et al., 2020). Often existing and current

studies are also used to identify ethical dilemmas and avoid them.

Methodology: The research design can include both deductive and inductive approaches.

Interviews and surveys are typically used in interpretivist studies. Besides, experiments and

case studies are also preferred for data collection (Johannessen et al., 2020). The mono or

mixed method is utilised depending on research goals and situations.

Problematic and contentious issues: The interpretivist studies are extremely reliant on the

views of participants or stakeholders. It is a contentious matter due to the inclusion or

presence of biased opinions, which would affect findings. Besides, inappropriate research
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methodology or design and poor knowledge regarding the topic can cause misinterpretation.

It is quite problematic. Further, effective interpretation needs a high amount of data and time,

which is problematic without proper planning (Pavlova & Saenko, 2017).

Positivism Paradigm

The accuracy of positivist research is influenced by factual proofs and logical facts, which

help to evaluate a situation accurately. Structured data collection is essential for this paradigm

so that different stakeholder’s perspectives can be identified. The research paradigm can be

applied to improve business performance and brand value. Statistical data is fetched in this

paradigm, which depicts practical facts and evidence related to organisational issues or

employee problems (Dang, 2018). The paradigm can assist managers to explore issues and

initiate strategic changes, which makes it highly valuable in the managerial viewpoint.

Besides, managers can also develop excellent plans for resource allocation and guarantee the

quality performance of employees and organisations with positivist studies.

Epistemology of Positivism: The epistemological perspective allows management to

generalise environment and related issues. The specific concept is recognised by collecting

opinions and evidence related to the concept. The existing condition of the business is

focused on while gathering factual information. For instance, viewpoints of workers,

customers, and the business community can be accumulated to form objective knowledge

regarding growth opportunities and backlogs. Thus, management can make various positive

changes or reforms in business plans and workplace procedures to improve the environment,

which would help to utilise opportunities. Further, considering stakeholder opinions would

improve positive relationships between management and stakeholders. The approach is useful

for increasing the acceptance and value of management and also boosts employee

performance and consumer base.

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Ontology of Positivism: Diverse business concepts and management ideas that could increase

the value of the organisation or industry are investigated with ontological positivism. For

example, the impact of work culture, employee motivation, or leadership on employee

performance and job satisfaction can be researched with this paradigm. The objectivity of

opinions of stakeholders is effective to detect or recognise different challenges or gaps and

develop efficient solutions. Often, historical data and industrial or organisational case studies

are also used for developing a positive work environment and beneficial business strategies.

Axiology of Positivism: Collected objective data or statistical information related to a

business theme is measured with the axiological viewpoint. Management using axiological

positivism checks how the gathered data could add positive value to the business functions.

The principle of this paradigm instructs managers to increase the material value or develop

positive strategies (Riaz, 2019). Thus, strong financial plans, sales strategies and other

important policies or systems can be developed with axiological positivism. The paradigm

can assist managers to develop both long-term and short-term plans.

Methodology: Deductive approach is used while designing positivist research studies. Survey

is used for fetching data and collecting opinions. Besides, the case study is also used by

management to inspect positive opportunities and ensure sustainable growth. Positivism

utilises the quantitative methodology of research (Werhane et al., 2017). Sometimes, the

mixed method is also used when statistical (quantitative) data cannot describe or address all

the issues related to the business research.

Problematic and contentious issues: As the paradigm is rigorously dependent on scientific

facts and objective knowledge, the absence or lack of present and historical facts can affect

the study outcome. Therefore, it is considered a controversial problem. Besides, improper

utilisation of ontological and epistemological perspectives of positivism can create problems

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by including biased data and findings (Iguisi, 2018). Improper knowledge regarding these

frameworks and study topics is another major problem

Pragmatism Paradigm

The paradigm of research highlights that an issue or scenario can be understood by realising

the ways through which it was created. The problem can be influenced by the actions of

stakeholders, culture, and other components. Besides, pragmatism also indicates that another

person or group may have experienced similar problems or situations, which would help in

exploring relevant solutions (Abatemarco et al., 2019). The pragmatic philosophy assists

managers to utilise other's experiences to develop personal experience and make effective

decisions or solutions. Business managers can acknowledge diverse issues in business

processes, work culture, organisational structure, and various other interdependent factors

and problems with pragmatism. It would allow them to resolve multiple problems by

controlling or abolishing the core reasons behind the issues.

Epistemology of Pragmatism: Managers carefully listen to the opinions of different

stakeholders to make the correct decision while using epistemological pragmatism. The

opinions widely accepted by the majority are used for making decisions or solutions (Heeks,

Ospina & Wall, 2019). It implies decisions not appreciated by most people are considered

wrong.

Ontology of Pragmatism: Managers using pragmatic ontology investigate multiple correlated

factors, which have or could influence the problem related to research. The paradigm

highlights that the state of the problem is objective and influenced by human perspectives

(Tronvoll et al., 2018). Thus, managers examine the opinions of all associated stakeholders

and incorporate ethical belief systems while developing solutions. It increases the quality of

solutions depending on specific scenarios.

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Axiology of Pragmatism: The axiological framework prioritises the ethical viewpoint of

stakeholders while making decisions (Werhane et al., 2017). Thus, unethical activities and

decisions can be eliminated easily. Legal and moral perspectives help to develop strong and

efficient realistic solutions.

Methodology: The deductive approach or iterative induction is utilised in pragmatic studies.

Experiments, surveys, case studies, or interviews are used for used as research strategies

(Lehman, 2017). Pragmatic researchers can use both the mixed method and the mono

method.

Problematic and contentious issues: Appropriate use of an ethical belief system often

becomes a problem for researchers. Besides, evaluation of diverse situations or perspectives

and ensuring the reliability of decisions is problematic and contentious during the adaption of

ontological or epistemological pragmatism. Thus, managerial viewpoints and decisions can

be affected.

Comparison of the different paradigms

Philosophical Realism Interpretivism Positivism Pragmatism

Perspective

Ontology Collecting Right actions or Statistics and Beliefs or values

statistical facts decisions are human of stakeholders

and information determined by perspectives are influence

related to the topic measuring their used to develop wrongness or

is the ideal acceptance by positive rightness of

approach to make the majority decisions outcome

decisions

Epistemology Reliability of Factual data Positive Specific

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outcomes and developed with solutions well decisions are

decisions are opinions are supported by considered right

dependent on the used to increase stakeholders are if they add

positive attitude of the effectiveness finalized positive worth to

the involved of decisions the organisation

stakeholders

Axiology The decisions or Ethical and Positive values Various

results can be positive values and objectivity decisions having

refined or are used to determines the practical

improved by produce accuracy and effectiveness

applying ethical effective efficiency of for problem

perspectives decisions or decisions resolution are

relevant to the strategies selected

business context

Conclusion

Management or business analysts can diverse paradigms and philosophies while reviewing

business challenges or exploring solutions. However, they need to comprehend different

features of all research philosophies and paradigms to ensure proper use. It is realised that

different philosophies and paradigms observe and explore truth regarding the business

environment differently. Thus, choosing research paradigms and associated philosophies are

important, which influences the design and execution of research methodology, research

strategy and research approach. Along with an effective design of research, ethical
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perspectives also need to be considered and obeyed to avoid contentious issues and ensure

reliable outcomes.
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References

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