Business Research, Social Sciences Methods Used In

Abstract

Business utilizes a variety of theoretical paradigms drawn from the social sciences to support its research activities. The predominant paradigms are the positivistic or postpositivistic paradigms. These paradigms have traditionally provided business with its social sciences methods. However, during the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century, paradigms associated with the traditions of social constructionism, social constructivism, social phenomenology and the interpretive social science paradigm were and are being used by business to provide alternative methods for the conduct of business research. Related to those paradigms are critical theory, feminist perspectives, postmodern and participatory paradigms. Essentially, the positivistically derived paradigms (positivism, postpositivism and critical realism) are associated with a quantitative methodology. Social constructionism, constructivism, phenomenology or interpretivism and related paradigms are associated with a qualitative methodology.