In the first layer, the following philosophies have been
defined by Saunders et al. (2016): positivism, critical realism, interpretivism, postmodernism, and pragmatism. Positivism philosophy is related to the concept of objectivity or
objectivism. It mainly deals with the quantitative approach
with a structured data collection on a large data sample. In
this philosophy, the beliefs of a researcher do not impact the
study (Saunders et al., 2009; 2016). The positivism philosophy states that reality survives independently and objectively, whereas interpretivism relies on the construction and
reconstruction of social and human interactions. The positivist paradigm is characterized by propositions, hypotheses,
models, quantifiable factors, and conclusions derived from
the samples of the population (Chen & Hirschheim, 2004).
The positivist approach is associated with quantitative
research and uses numeric data to make generalizations
about responses, which are grounded in an epistemology of
objectivism (Creswell, 2009). Realism philosophy deals with
the reality that exists. It is independent of the mind. Realism
has two parts: critical realism and direct realism (Saunders
et al., 2009). In direct realism, it is believed that what the
researchers see is true. In critical realism, the researchers’
experience is considered a sensation (Sekaran & Bougie,
2010). The purpose of the interpretive research is to create
new, richer understandings and interpretations of social
worlds and contexts. Concerning philosophical debates, the
constructivist approach is associated with qualitative
research which is consistent with an interpretive approach
(QiYing Su, Adams, 2010). From an axiological view of
interpretivism is that interpretivism understands that the
researcher’s own beliefs and interpretations play a key role
in the process. Postmodernists provide alternative worldviews that have been silenced by dominating perspectives.
The dominant means of decisions are not necessarily the
‘best’ but it is just the voices of a particular group(s) of
people at a particular point in time. There is also another side
of the perspective that is suppressed and might have the
power and potential to create alternative truths. Postmodernists aim to challenge the recognized means of thinking
and knowing and to support the suppressed and marginalized
ways of knowing that have been previously ignored (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 142). Pragmatic research is not new to
social or management sciences (Parvaiz, Mufti & Wahab,
2016). It was established in the USA in the early twentieth
century by Charles Pierce, William James, and John Dewey
(Saunders et al., 2016). It is derived from the Greek literature
‘Pragma’ which means ‘action’, from which the words
‘practical’ and ‘practice’ originated (Pansiri, 2005; Parvaiz
et al., 2016). In English, ‘pragmatic’ has the meaning of
searching for workable solutions to complex human problems (Fishman, 1991). The concern for a pragmatist is to
find out ‘what works’ and what enables solutions to
problems (Creswell, 2003). The problem or a research
question is the ‘central’ focus (Creswell, 2003) of this
approach.
6.3.2 Second Layer: Research Approach
Saunders et al. (2009, 2016) described three approaches
within this layer: the deductive approach, inductive
approach, and an abductive approach. The deductive
approach focuses on quantitative methods. In the deductive
approach, a researcher begins with existing theory, forms a
hypothesis, collects the data, analyzes the data, and then
either rejects or accepts the hypothesis. The deductive
approach is founded on scientific rules and is an extremely
structured approach. The researcher is independent and
selects an adequate sample size to generalize the results of
the study (Saunders et al., 2009). The inductive approach is
primarily related to qualitative methods. This approach
begins with observing the phenomena, analyzing the themes,
developing the relationship(s), and then at the end formulating a theory (Cavana, Delahaye & Sekaran, 2001). In this
research approach, the investigator is part of the study, has a
profound understanding of the research process, and interacts with participants to collect qualitative data. In an inductive approach, the researcher is more flexible to change
research focus as the research proceeds. In the abduction
approach, the available data is used to discover a phenomenon, to identify patterns and themes, to modify an
existing theory or to develop a new theory which is then
tested, mostly through a further collection of data. According
to Saunders et al., (2009), Hussey and Hussey (1997), a
researcher is free to switch from one approach to another to
answer the research question.
6.3.3 Third-Layer: Methodological Choice
Saunders et al. (2016) classified this layer into a
mono-method qualitative, mono-method quantitative,
multi-method qualitative, multi-method quantitative
mixed-method complex, and mixed-method simple. However, Creswell (2009) classified the research strategy into
qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods. Quantitative
methods are embedded in the formal and fixed design, where
a fixed strategy is utilized for its ability to describe the
processes and patterns that they can be connected to the
social or organizational structure using statistical analysis
(Robson, 2002). Survey questionnaires are used to collect
the data in quantitative methods (Chen & Hirschheim,
2004). Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004) describe that
quantitative research methods are quicker and more accurate.
6.3 Research Design
51
defined by Saunders et al. (2016): positivism, critical realism, interpretivism, postmodernism, and pragmatism. Positivism philosophy is related to the concept of objectivity or
objectivism. It mainly deals with the quantitative approach
with a structured data collection on a large data sample. In
this philosophy, the beliefs of a researcher do not impact the
study (Saunders et al., 2009; 2016). The positivism philosophy states that reality survives independently and objectively, whereas interpretivism relies on the construction and
reconstruction of social and human interactions. The positivist paradigm is characterized by propositions, hypotheses,
models, quantifiable factors, and conclusions derived from
the samples of the population (Chen & Hirschheim, 2004).
The positivist approach is associated with quantitative
research and uses numeric data to make generalizations
about responses, which are grounded in an epistemology of
objectivism (Creswell, 2009). Realism philosophy deals with
the reality that exists. It is independent of the mind. Realism
has two parts: critical realism and direct realism (Saunders
et al., 2009). In direct realism, it is believed that what the
researchers see is true. In critical realism, the researchers’
experience is considered a sensation (Sekaran & Bougie,
2010). The purpose of the interpretive research is to create
new, richer understandings and interpretations of social
worlds and contexts. Concerning philosophical debates, the
constructivist approach is associated with qualitative
research which is consistent with an interpretive approach
(QiYing Su, Adams, 2010). From an axiological view of
interpretivism is that interpretivism understands that the
researcher’s own beliefs and interpretations play a key role
in the process. Postmodernists provide alternative worldviews that have been silenced by dominating perspectives.
The dominant means of decisions are not necessarily the
‘best’ but it is just the voices of a particular group(s) of
people at a particular point in time. There is also another side
of the perspective that is suppressed and might have the
power and potential to create alternative truths. Postmodernists aim to challenge the recognized means of thinking
and knowing and to support the suppressed and marginalized
ways of knowing that have been previously ignored (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 142). Pragmatic research is not new to
social or management sciences (Parvaiz, Mufti & Wahab,
2016). It was established in the USA in the early twentieth
century by Charles Pierce, William James, and John Dewey
(Saunders et al., 2016). It is derived from the Greek literature
‘Pragma’ which means ‘action’, from which the words
‘practical’ and ‘practice’ originated (Pansiri, 2005; Parvaiz
et al., 2016). In English, ‘pragmatic’ has the meaning of
searching for workable solutions to complex human problems (Fishman, 1991). The concern for a pragmatist is to
find out ‘what works’ and what enables solutions to
problems (Creswell, 2003). The problem or a research
question is the ‘central’ focus (Creswell, 2003) of this
approach.
6.3.2 Second Layer: Research Approach
Saunders et al. (2009, 2016) described three approaches
within this layer: the deductive approach, inductive
approach, and an abductive approach. The deductive
approach focuses on quantitative methods. In the deductive
approach, a researcher begins with existing theory, forms a
hypothesis, collects the data, analyzes the data, and then
either rejects or accepts the hypothesis. The deductive
approach is founded on scientific rules and is an extremely
structured approach. The researcher is independent and
selects an adequate sample size to generalize the results of
the study (Saunders et al., 2009). The inductive approach is
primarily related to qualitative methods. This approach
begins with observing the phenomena, analyzing the themes,
developing the relationship(s), and then at the end formulating a theory (Cavana, Delahaye & Sekaran, 2001). In this
research approach, the investigator is part of the study, has a
profound understanding of the research process, and interacts with participants to collect qualitative data. In an inductive approach, the researcher is more flexible to change
research focus as the research proceeds. In the abduction
approach, the available data is used to discover a phenomenon, to identify patterns and themes, to modify an
existing theory or to develop a new theory which is then
tested, mostly through a further collection of data. According
to Saunders et al., (2009), Hussey and Hussey (1997), a
researcher is free to switch from one approach to another to
answer the research question.
6.3.3 Third-Layer: Methodological Choice
Saunders et al. (2016) classified this layer into a
mono-method qualitative, mono-method quantitative,
multi-method qualitative, multi-method quantitative
mixed-method complex, and mixed-method simple. However, Creswell (2009) classified the research strategy into
qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods. Quantitative
methods are embedded in the formal and fixed design, where
a fixed strategy is utilized for its ability to describe the
processes and patterns that they can be connected to the
social or organizational structure using statistical analysis
(Robson, 2002). Survey questionnaires are used to collect
the data in quantitative methods (Chen & Hirschheim,
2004). Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004) describe that
quantitative research methods are quicker and more accurate.
6.3 Research Design
51