Pluralism in Management Research - Essay Example

? Pluralism and Management Research Pluralism in Management Research Introduction Management research, which has remained significant in organizations, has come out differently in organizations. It is a subject that is of real concern to managers. There are different ways in which managers conduct the management research. As management research is about knowledge production, so the focus in this practice is to produce knowledge at its best. In order to achieve this objective (producing optimum knowledge), managers keep the flexibility in the practice of management research, which induces new methods and techniques in the practice (Flick, 2009). This report is a discussion about management research, about its techniques and practices mostly adapted by managerial researchers. The objective here is to find the relationship between pluralism and management research, which is one philosophical approach adapted in most of the managerial researches. The aim is to test the argument that whether “pluralism is a cause of concern or celebration in the practice of management research, as one effectively adapted approach in the practice”. What is Management Research? Management research can be defined as a practice, which managers adapt to acquire knowledge and information. This practice is to meet the requirements set by managers, which are mostly of acquiring knowledge that is most needed in a particular organization (Brooks, 2002). It can be intellectual knowledge, knowledge related to managers’ skills, or knowledge to grow organization’s equity, which managers generally acquire by means of management research. Moreover, managers conduct management research to understand the internal functions, operations, and structure of a particular organization. The core objective in management research is to grow and develop the managerial competencies, which develops the path for true organizational success and sustenance (COLMR, 2009). Different approaches are adapted by managers to conduct management research in which one approach is pluralism which refers to a school of thought where there are changing views and opinions upstanding (Kelemen & Rumens, 2008). Diversity of expressions is there when managers adapt the pluralist approach of management research (Kelemen & Rumens, 2008). Philosophical Assumptions of Pluralism in Management Research According to the contemporary literature, pluralism is a philosophical school of thought that is composed of four different elements - diversity, understanding, commitment and dialogue. These elements are basically philosophical assumptions of pluralism, which describes pluralism as a state of multiplicity (Werner, 2002). Multiplicity of thoughts, of ideas, rationales, and decisions all come in the pluralist school of thought. Generally when managers adapt pluralism in management research, they are inevitably engaged with diversity and multiplicity (Werner, 2002). Accepting diversity as a culture in pluralism, managers have to be tolerant and have to show patience to go across the lines to build understanding in their relationships. Understanding and commitment are two essential features of pluralism, and are most challenging to managers as they test the leadership, the gratitude and personality qualities of managers during management research (Johnson & Duberley, 2000). Pluralism motivates managers on collective decision-making and for which managers have to bring a cross-integral dialogue with their peers to bring collective decisions. Collective opinions and views are of major importance in pluralism (Pettigrew, 2001). Encounter of commitments have to be shown by managers on their decisions, as strong commitment is one rule and a promise in pluralism. Actually, it is test of collective wisdom which pluralism sets out for all managers involved in a management research activity (Sheffield, 2009). At the initial level, all managers find pluralism a difficult approach to adopt in management research, but when fruits of pluralism appear in the form of diversity and multiplicity, managers are contentedly engaged with its implications in the managerial research practice (Bishop, 2007). Is Pluralism as a Cause of Concern or Celebration in Management Research? To understand pluralism as a cause of concern in management research, a more holistic and profound view is needed. In contemporary period, everything has become diversified. The patterns of multiculturism (cross-nationalism, cross-culturism) are induced in the societies, and similarly the systems of businesses are gone globalized and more correctly stating they are universalized. So it can be said that pluralism has become an unavoidable reality of the world, just as Brooks (2002) describes in his book (the challenge of cultural pluralism) that pluralism is more than an assumption, it is a “fact“ of the contemporary living world (Brooks, 2002). Looking onto these assertions it can be said that pluralism is more prominent and more dominant thing in the contemporary world than it was in the early decades when technology and innovation were growing (Brooks, 2002). The impact of this dominating pluralist thought is also found in the management research practice where the need is to invite new ideas and new thoughts to make the practice more comprehensive and out ranging. So the fact is that whether managers wanted or not wanted pluralism in their research practices, it is inevitably there in those practices to make them more vibrant and of multiplicity nature (Knight & Ruddock, 2009, p.8). Answering the argument that whether pluralism is a cause of concern or celebration in management research, it can be said that pluralism is more celebrated than it is concentrated in management research (Brooks, 2002). Managers have divided responsibilities and uncertainties by including the principle of pluralism in their research practice. Similarly, managers are able to resolve complexity in management researches by adding pluralism to their ways, which provides the confidence and believe in them for teamwork and synergy (Sheffield, 2009). It is the collective wisdom, which managers attain by pluralism that resolves complex issues in researches and research findings. Moreover, the objective of management research (producing knowledge at its best) is effectively achieved by means of pluralism, which gives the opportunity to managers to bring their enjoined skills and potencies. Overall, management research becomes more comprehensive by means of pluralism, as in pluralism every individual brings a different input to management research, making the research more authentic and diversified (Knight & Ruddock, 2009). Conclusion Pluralism, which comes out as a prominent school of thought after post modernism is found involved in the management research practice. Management research, which refers to managerial practice of knowledge acquisition, is found in the impression of pluralism. The philosophical assumptions of pluralism such as diversity, understanding, commitment and expression are found being adopted by managers in research. The reason is that pluralism provides openness to managers. It provides them the freeness in their thoughts and actions to make management research more conductive and out-ranging. Conclusively, it can be said that pluralism is one cause of celebration in management research. It is a cause of evolution of success in the managerial research practice. List of References Bishop, R.C., 2007. The Philosophy of the Social Sciences: An Introduction. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. Brooks, S., 2002. The Challenge of Cultural Pluralism. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. COLMR, 2009. A Framework for Management Research. [Online] Viewed at: [Accessed 6 December 2013]. Flick, U., 2009. An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London: SAGE. Johnson, P. & Duberley, J., 2000. Understanding Management Research: An Introduction to Epistemology. London: SAGE Publications. Kelemen, M.L. & Rumens, N., 2008. An Introduction to Critical Management Research. London: SAGE. Knight, A. & Ruddock, L., 2009. Advanced Research Methods in the Built Environment. New York: John Wiley & Son. Pettigrew, A., 2001. Management Research after Modernism. British Journal of Management, 12, pp.61-70. Sheffield, J., 2009. Pluralism in Knowledge Management: a Review. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(3), pp.387-96. Werner, S., 2002. Recent Developments in International Management Research: A Review of 20 Top Management Journals. Journal of Management, 28(3), pp.277-305. Read More