Philosophy

and Nature of
Research
Dr Siti Nor Bayaah Ahmad
 General recommendation
Trust your supervisor
Follow your university format
If there is a better suggestion, please
follow the advice
 1. Collect information before making a decision
Why 2. Conduct high quality research

Research is 3.
4.
Understand research design
Evaluate and correct current management

Important? 5.
dilemma
Make research a career
 Two Categories of Research

Applied Research Basic Research

1. Evaluate opportunities 1. Solving theoretical problems

2. Improve a current situation 2. No direct impact to actions, performance or

policy decisions
Comparison between Basic Research and Applied Research
BASIC RESEARCH APPLIED RESEARCH

Purpose 1. Expand knowledge of process of business and 1. Improve understanding of business or management
management problem

2. Results in universal principles relating to the process 2. Result in solution to problem

and its relationship to outcome

3. Findings of significance and value to society in general 3. New knowledge limited to problem

4. Findings of practical relevant and value to manager(s) in

organization(s)

Context 1. Undertaken by people based in universities 1. Undertaken by people based in a variety of setting
including organizations and universities

2. Choice of topic and objectives determined by the 2. Objectives negotiated with originator
researcher

3. Flexible time scales 3. Tight time scales

 Four Types of Studies

Reporting Descriptive
Provide a summation of data, often recasting data to Tries to discover answers to the questions who, what,
achieve a deeper understanding or to generate when, where, and, sometimes, how
statistics for comparison

Exploratory Predictive
Attempts to explain the reasons for the phenomenon Attempts to predict when and in what situation an
that the descriptive study observed event will occur. May also be describe as applied
research/basic research
Research Philosophy
• Research philosophy is a vast topic and here we
will not be discussing this topic in great details. In
business and economics dissertations at Bachelor’s
level, you are not expected to discuss research
philosophy in a great level of depth, and about one
page in methodology chapter devoted to research
philosophy usually suffices. For a business
dissertation at Master’s level you may need to
provide more discussion of the philosophy of your
study, but even there, about two pages of
discussions has to be accepted as sufficient by your
supervisor.
Discussion of research philosophy in your
dissertation should include the following:
1.You need to specify the research philosophy of your study. Your
research philosophy can
be pragmatism, positivism, realism or interpretivism as
discussed below.
2.The reasons behind philosophical classifications of the study
need to be provided.
3.You need to discuss the implications of your research
philosophy on the research strategy in general and the choice
of primary data collection methods in particular.
The
Essence of
Research
Philosophy
• Each stage of the research process is based on assumptions
about the sources and the nature of knowledge. The research
philosophy will reflect the author’s important assumptions and
these assumptions serve as base for the research strategy.
Generally, research philosophy has many branches related to a
wide range of disciplines. Within the scope of business studies
in particular there are four main research philosophies:
1.Pragmatism
2.Positivism
3.Realism
4.Interpretivism (Interpretivist)
 • The choice of a specific research philosophy is
impacted by practical implications. There are important
philosophical differences between studies that focus
on facts and numbers such as an analysis of the
impact of foreign direct investment on the level of GDP
growth and qualitative studies such as an analysis of
leadership style on employee motivation in
The Choice organizations.
• The choice between positivist and interpretivist
of Research research philosophies or
between quantitative and qualitative research methods
Philosophy has traditionally represented a major point of debate.
However, the latest developments in the practice of
conducting studies have increased the popularity of
pragmatism and realism philosophies as well.
• Moreover, as it is illustrated in table below, there are
popular data collection methods associated with each
research philosophy.
 Pragmatism Positivism Realism Interpretivism
Mixed or multiple Highly structured Methods chosen must Small samples, in-depth
fit the subject matter, investigations,
quantitative or qualitative
Popular data qualitative
collection methods
Method designs Large samples

Quantitative and Measurement,

Qualitative quantitative, but can
use qualitative
 • Pragmatism research philosophy

Pragmatism accepts concepts to be relevant

only if they support action.
Pragmatics “recognise that there

Research are many different ways of

interpreting the world and
undertaking research, that no single
Philosophy point of view can ever give the
entire picture and that there may be
multiple realities”
 • According to pragmatism research
Pragmatism philosophy, research question is the
most important determinant of
the research philosophy.
Research Pragmatics can combine both,
positivist and interpretivism

Philosophy positions within the scope of a

single research according to the
nature of the research question.
 Research approach Research Strategy

Positivsm Deductive Quantitative

Interpretivism Inductive Qualitative

Pragmatism Deductive/Inductive Qualitative and/or quantitative

Studies with pragmatism research
philosophy can integrate the use of
multiple research methods such as
qualitative, quantitative and action
research methods
• Pragmatist management researchers can be compared to architects. In
the same way architects use whatever materials and methods needed to
build the building they schemed in paper; pragmatists use whatever
combination of methods necessary to find answers to research
questions. At the same time, it has to be noted that pragmatists do not
have to use multiple methods; rather they use method or combination of
methods that advances a specific research in the best possible manner.
 • It has to be acknowledged that the
positivism research philosophy is difficult
to be explained in a precise and succinct
manner. This is because there are vast
Positivism differences between settings in which
positivism is used by researchers. The
Research number variations in explaining positivism
may be equal to the number of authors
Philosophy who addressed the area of research
philosophy. Nevertheless, in its essence,
positivism is based on the idea that
science is the only way to learn about the
truth.
 • As a philosophy, positivism adheres to
the view that only “factual” knowledge
Positivism gained through observation (the
senses), including measurement, is
Research trustworthy. In positivism studies the
role of the researcher is limited to data
Philosophy collection and interpretation in an
objective way. In these types of studies
research findings are usually
observable and quantifiable.
 • Crowther and Lancaster (2008)[2] argue
that as a general rule, positivist studies
usually adopt deductive approach,
Positivism whereas inductive research approach is
usually associated with a phenomenology
Research philosophy. Moreover, positivism relates to
the viewpoint that researcher needs to
Philosophy concentrate on facts, whereas
phenomenology concentrates on the
meaning and has provision for human
interest.
 • Realism research philosophy relies on the
idea of independence of reality from the
human mind. This philosophy is based on the
assumption of a scientific approach to the
development of knowledge. Realism can be
divided into two groups: direct and critical.
Realism • Direct realists accept the world as relatively
Research unchanging. They concentrate on only one
level, be it individual, group or an
Philosophy organization. Critical realists, on the other
hand, appreciate the importance of multi-
level study. Specifically, as a researcher
following critical realism research philosophy
you have to appreciate the influence and
interrelationship between the individual, the
group and the organization.
 • Interpretivism, also known as
interpretivist involves researchers to
Interpretivism interpret elements of the study, thus
(interpretivist) interpretivism integrates human
interest into a study. Accordingly,
Research “interpretive researchers assume that
access to reality (given or socially
Philosophy constructed) is only through social
constructions such as language,
consciousness, shared meanings, and
instruments”
 • Interpretivist approach is based on naturalistic
approach of data collection such
Interpretivism as interviews and observations. Secondary
data research is also popular with
interpretivism philosophy. In this type of
(interpretivist) studies, meanings emerge usually towards the
end of the research process.
Research • According to interpretivist approach, it is
important for the researcher as a social actor
Philosophy to appreciate differences between
people.[3] Moreover, interpretivism studies
usually focus on meaning and may employ
multiple methods in order to reflect different
aspects of the issue.
Categories of
Research

By Objectives:

Qualitative research: Understanding of human

behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior

Quantitative research: Systematic empirical

investigation of quantitative properties and
phenomena and their relationship
Mixed methods research: uses a combination of
quantitative and qualitative methods for data
collection and analysis
Language of
Research
A Variable is
the Property
Being
Studied
 • A moderator specifies the conditions under which
a given effect occurs, as well as the conditions
under which the direction (nature) or strength of
an effect vary.

Moderator • A moderator variable is one that affects the

relationship between two variables, so that the
nature of the impact of the predictor on the
Variable criterion varies according to the level or value of
the moderator (Holmbeck, 1997).
• A moderator interacts with the predictor variable
in such a way as to have an impact on the level of
the dependent variable.
Start your research
ISSUE
SUBJECT MATTER,
RESEARCH SYMPTOM
What to address and improve
 SIMPLE THESIS
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Chapter 5
Chapter 2
CONCLUSIONS &
LITERATURE REVIEW
RECOMMENDATIONS

Chapter 4 Chapter 3
FINDINGS METHODOLOGY
 Defence research proposal (drp)
Laptop
Microsoft Words
Equipment/Tools Mendeley
+ knowledge
Library (physical/online)
Your RP is not perfect
Just ready for defense
Know what you
Knowledge on
have written and
subject matter
your subject

Forms - IPSIS Basic/Applied

IGS Seminar (IPSIS) Abstract
TIE2 (MASMED) Ch 1 Introduction
Turnitin (30%) Ch 2 Literature Review
Ready for DRP Chapter 1-3
Formatting Ch 3 Research Methodology
Proof read References
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all keywords

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skills

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citation
citation
 TITLE

Objective Issue
CHOOSING
YOUR TITLE

Gaps of Problems
Knowledge
 THE DIRECTION OF THE STUDY
Abstract
(summary)

• Vision • argument tell how the

Literature Research
Introduction • Mission Review • comparison Methodology study will be
• Objective • justification conducted

References
 (respondents, participants, research
METHODOLOGY design, data collection)
ABSTRACT

EXPECTED
PRACTICALITY OBJECTIVE FINDINGS

“This study will benefit…”

(must start with “TO”) NO CITATION
One page max

ORIGINALITY
Originality/Contribution “This study will
produce a new model …”
Abstract
Objective
The main objective of this study is to …
Methodology
This study uses qualitative methods that take a holistic perspective that…..
Findings
The findings will later be implemented as a model for …….. to improve their
economy, thus becoming more competitive.
Originality of the research
It is rare when it comes to developing ….. economy with the involvement of
multiple parties, and furthermore using social entrepreneurship methods.
Practicality
This study will benefit…
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF PROBLEM
INTRODUCTION RESEARCH ISSUES
THE STUDY STATEMENT

GAPS OF OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE OF

KNOWLEDGE STUDY QUESTIONS THE STUDY

JUSTIFICATIONS OF SCOPE OF THE OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE

THE STUDY STUDY DEFINITION THESIS

SUMMARY