18 Questions
What is the primary purpose of distinguishing between various research philosophies in business and management?
To identify differences in assumptions made by scholars working within each philosophy
What does ontology refer to in the context of research philosophies?
Assumptions about the nature of reality
What are structure and agency assumptions in research?
Assumptions about how free individuals are to change their lives and the world around them, and how constraining societal structures are
Why is it important to consider personal values in research?
Because they can influence research assumptions and outcomes
What is the significance of axiology in research philosophies?
It refers to assumptions about values and ethics
Why is it important to consider research ethics in business and management research?
Because it can impact the validity and reliability of research findings
From an objectivist viewpoint, what is the nature of social and physical phenomena?
They exist independently of individuals’ views and are universal and enduring in character.
How do objectivists approach knowledge acquisition?
By adopting the assumptions of the natural scientist.
What is the role of values in research from an objectivist perspective?
Value-free, aiming to be morally neutral.
How do subjectivists view the nature of reality?
As socially constructed and consisting of multiple realities.
What is the core assumption of objectivist philosophy in the social sciences?
The social reality is external to us and others, existing independently of how we think of it or are aware of it.
What is the extreme form of objectivism in relation to social entities?
Considering social entities to be like physical entities of the natural world, existing independently of human thought or awareness.
What is the primary concern for researchers in terms of values from a subjectivist perspective?
Being integral and reflexive, acknowledging the influence of personal values.
According to objectivism, how many true social realities are there?
One, experienced by all social actors.
How do philosophical assumptions influence the research process?
By shaping the types of questions asked, the methods used, and the interpretation of results.
What are the major social structures that make up the objectivist social world?
Family, religion, and the economy, among others, which are seen as solid, granular, and relatively unchanging 'things'.
What is the primary difference between objectivist and subjectivist philosophical assumptions?
Objectivism emphasizes the external, independent existence of social reality, while subjectivism focuses on the role of individual interpretations and experiences in shaping reality.
What are the implications of objectivist philosophical assumptions for research ethics?
They may lead to a focus on objective truth and neglect of personal values and biases in research.
Study Notes
- There are three types of research assumptions that distinguish research philosophies: ontology, epistemology, and axiology.
- Ontology refers to assumptions about the nature of reality, and it can be categorized into two extremes: objectivism and subjectivism.
- Objectivism assumes that social and physical phenomena exist independently of individuals’ views, are universal, and enduring in character, similar to the natural sciences.
- From an objectivist viewpoint, social reality is external to individuals and exists independently of how they think of it or label it, and there is only one true social reality experienced by all social actors.
- Social reality, according to objectivism, is made up of solid, granular, and relatively unchanging ‘things’, including major social structures such as family, religion, and the economy.
- Subjectivism, on the other hand, assumes that social reality is socially constructed, multiple, and relative, and that individuals’ experiences and interpretations influence the existence of the social world.
- Epistemology refers to assumptions about how we can know what we know, and it also has two extremes: adopting assumptions of the natural scientist or adopting the assumptions of the arts and humanities.
- Axiology refers to assumptions about what is considered acceptable knowledge, and it ranges from facts and numbers to opinions and attributed meanings.
- Axiology also deals with the role of values in research, considering whether research should be morally neutral or value-bound, and how to deal with the values of research participants.
Explore the underlying philosophical principles of business and management, including ontological, epistemological, and axiological assumptions. Understand how these assumptions shape research philosophies in the field.
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