Epistemological Perspective in Management Research - Essay Example

Research Knowledge In What Ways Does the Choice of an Epistemological Perspective or Stance Influence the Formulation of a Management Research? This paper provides the definition of epistemology and the epistemological perspective. It also explains how the epistemological perspectives influence the formulation of a management research. The paper additionally examines issues like empiricism, constructivism, idealism, rationalism, and their influences on the formulation of a research in the field of management. Epistemology is a branch of the philosophical field that is mainly concerned with the nature and limitations of knowledge. The field addresses such issues as what knowledge is, how it can be acquired, and the extent to which it applies to certain entities (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). Epistemological perspectives are the different ways in which different people view knowledge, its nature and scope. There are different epistemological perspectives that can be used in the formulation of a management research; they range from empiricism, idealism, and rationalism to constructivism (Fumerton, 2006). In order to overcome the difficulties that may be encountered in formulating the management research the concepts of infinitism, foundationalism, and coherentism may be utilized (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). Empiricism is a concept that emphasizes the role that experience plays when one formulates a management research. It is basically a conjecture of knowledge that emphasizes the use of the perceptual observations that we make through our senses (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). When making a management research, an individual will have to utilize epistemology to determine the problems that are affecting him or her. Doing this, he or she has to consider the environment in which his or her activities take place. A researcher will utilize the solutions that are observable and have been derived from the environment (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). In making perceptual observations, the management researcher acquires firsthand knowledge of the problems he or she is encountering, and is, therefore, able to effectively formulate a research. The problems ascertained can be evaluated in order to measure their impact on a business venture while one devises the most appropriate solutions to them (Fumerton, 2006). On the other hand, rationalism emphasizes the epistemologically privileged statuses of data that we have collected through our senses. It additionally emphasizes the dominance of reasoning and consists of abstracts, theory, and borrowings from empirical studies (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). When formulating a management research using epistemology, an individual has to collect data before he or she can utilize the knowledge acquired. Doing this, an individual will be able to make appropriate decisions (Audi, 2010). Many challenges may be encountered in the collection of data that may eventually lead to misinterpretation. Data may be incorrectly interpreted due to the fact that different people possess different forms of knowledge along with levels of understanding (Fumerton, 2006). A lot of time is additionally lost when references are made to previous empirical studies that have been carried out, though they are important in ensuring the best decisions in regard to different aspects in management that are to be resolved. After researching the studies of previous researchers, an individual will have the empirical material that can help avoid the obstacles encountered by others (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). According to Fumerton (2006), a lot of consultations have to be made before an appropriate decision can be implemented for the purpose of solving the problems facing a business venture. Rationalism enables to epistemologically reason out a problem before one can come to a decision as to the best solution. It additionally helps researchers overcome any errors they may have made when formulating their research problem (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). According to idealists, the acquisition of knowledge occurs through priori or innate processes. For instance, this type of idealist knowledge is not acquired from the knowledge we acquire from our experiences (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). However, some idealists argue that knowledge can be obtained through posteriori processes, whereas others argue that it cannot be obtained, since it’s achievable through priori processes. The idealists additionally argue that the knowledge we possess is a product of our minds (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). When formulating a management research using epistemology, idealists depend on what is already known through the definitions given and any relevant topics concerning their problem that have been previously drafted (Audi, 2010). Idealists may encounter challenges when accessing and adopting the best solutions to the problems they are encountering. Upon collecting information concerning the problems, an idealist has to refer to the previous collected and documented information on the topic at hand. In addition to being tedious, this activity consumes a lot of his time (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). However, idealists have an advantage in that they can formulate the best type of research to carry on if they encounter challenges when formulating it (Audi, 2010). The dependence on previously carried out researches could easily make a person make wrong interpretations of what is actually happening to a business venture, thereby leading to the formulation of improper management researches (Fumerton, 2006). Constructivists perceive knowledge as a compilation of constructs that mostly originate from philosophies created by humans. They do not perceive knowledge as a neutral discovery that can be made on a purposeful truth (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). Constructivists mainly emphasize the processes that one goes through before one can establish knowledge. They additionally propose newer definitions concerning knowledge and truth, thereby forming newer paradigms that have their foundations mainly on the concepts of inter-subjectivity (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). There are, however, some constructivists who do believe in objectivity and emphasize the creation of constructs through the use of experiments (Audi, 2010). When formulating a management research through the use of epistemology, a constructivist will take into account the philosophies that have been made by man. Some of the philosophies may not be applicable to the problems that are currently being encountered by a business venture (Fumerton, 2006). The researchers may benefit from borrowing concepts from other subjects that could improve their research methods and problem formulation strategies. The formulation of decisions becomes verifiable due to the experiments that are continuously performed for the purpose of assessing the problems at hand (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). Finally, formulation of a management research through the use of constructivist concepts does not enhance the discovery of new ideas that have not been researched. Instead, the researcher has to venture into areas that have previously been scrutinized and can only make additions to, or improvements of, the existing knowledge body (Audi, 2010). In order to respond epistemologically to regression when formulating a management research, individuals can utilize the concepts of infinitism, foundationalism, and coherentism so that they may come up with viable decisions. Infinitism implies that it is almost impossible for problems to exist indefinitely. On the other hand, foundationalists suggest that their beliefs are true and require no justification. Finally, coherentists believe that uncertainty is eliminated when the issues at hand appear to be compatible with each other (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). In conclusion, the paper explored the ways in which the choice of an epistemological perspective or stance influences the formulation of a management research and how the creator can avoid regressions during the process. Reference list Audi, R, 2010. Epistemology: A Contemporary introduction to the theory of knowledge. New York: Taylor & Francis. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Jackson, P., 2012. Management research. 4th ed. London: SAGE. Fumerton, R. A., 2006. Epistemology. London: Blackwell Publications. Krishnaswamy, K.N, Sivakumar, A. L. and Mathirajan, M, 2009. Management research methodology: Integration of methods and techniques. India: Pearson Education. Read More