The Influence of an Epistemological Perspective on Formulation of a Management Research

Introduction

Management Research refers to the systematic analytical assessment of organizational problems and issues with an objective of providing sustainable solutions to the problems (Ansoff, I., 2004). It combines various aspects of research in combining pieces of knowledge for solving problems. Organizations and managers across the world are continually involved in collecting and analyzing information for the purpose of aiding managerial functions especially in strategic planning. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge in nature based on the justification of beliefs. Epistemology provides a foundational stance on which various research problems can be formulated and answers sought for. Distinct perspectives based on this philosophical basis lead to various methods of assessment which enable recognition of certain behavioral patterns. Good research problems enable managers to maximize the potential of the organization through evidence-based decision-making.

The place of Epistemology in Management Research.

Epistemology provides the basic approaches of knowledge creation with regard to research. The distinct approaches offer varied ways of assessing situations in management in different settings. Research is a method for developing knowledge. The quest for knowledge follows certain developmental patterns. Epistemology provides a key to these patterns enhancing the ability of managers to recognize the most suitable approach for developing important knowledge. Epistemology offers two distinct approaches to management research; Contextualist and interpretive approaches. Both perspectives are based on the realism-positivism philosophical orientation

Perspectives of Epistemology and Their Impacts

The contextualist approach is popular with its common variant, action research which is more common in organizations. In this approach emphasis is drown on the important role of the humanistic stance (Mintzberg, H., 2005). It calls for a high level of collaboration among the team of researchers who are formulating the research problem. Attention is mainly placed on the organization as a system and the problem is developed based on action. In addition, it places an important emphasis on understanding the process or the problem more than the outcomes of the problem. The researchers must focus on the different factors affecting the organization considering that each factor is part of the set of parameters whose configuration result in the organization’s proper functioning. The end result is a problem that defines the barrier to the organizations success and therefore suitable knowledge for taking action.

The interpretive approach on the other hand is based on the general opinion that the social world has a distinct status in which the events happening in the society from an observer’s point of view may not count in the concrete sense of the problem (Mintzberg, H., 2005). Rather it is the interaction of individuals within the specified settings that lead to the production of situations that may create the problem. As a result, the problem can best be understood and formulated through the participation of the researcher within the setting. These approach further places an emphasis on the participation of the researcher underlining the fact that the society may be well understood through action and therefore the researcher should formulate his problem from the stand-point of the participant in action. Organizations and managers who consider this approach must focus on a holistic context of management research that takes into account the organization itself as well as the surrounding environment. Through this approach, both the internal and external nature of the organization is put into consideration in formulating the problem.

Conclusion

Management research is an important aspect of developing concrete knowledge for the purpose of decision-making. Mangers require information in order to develop solutions to the problems (Hodgkinson, G. P. et al., 2001). While formulating the problem, managers may adopt various approaches. Epistemology offers two perspectives that can be used in assessing the situation and formulating the problem Contextualist approach is based on observation and the humanist tenets of the problem focusing on the process rather that the outcome. The interpretivist approach emphasis the participation of the researcher in the real setting in order to understand the problem. Whichever approach is used, it offers managers with a way to assess the factors surrounding the organization with an aim to solving a problem. In the grand scheme of things, knowledge is developed that aids the development of the organization’s core agenda.

References

Ansoff, I., 2004. Critique of Henry Mintzberg’s The Design School: Reconsidering the Basic Premises of Strategic Management, Strategic Management Journal.

Hodgkinson, G. P., P. Herriot and N. Anderson, 2001. Realigning the Stakeholders in Management Research: Lessons from Industrial, Work and Organizational Psychology. British Journal of Management.

Mintzberg, H., 2005. The Design School: Reconsidering the Basic Premises of Strategic Management, Strategic Management Journal.