Purpose & Philosophy

of Research
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Companies from different industries spend billions of dollars on research
every year. According to Statista (2022) the top three companies in the
world in terms of research spending are Amazon, Alphabet, and
Volkswagen.
What is research?
Definition of research
“Research is a systematic process of discovery and advancement of
human knowledge” (Gratton & Jones, 2009).
According to Theodorson and Theodorson (1969) “It refers to any honest
attempt to study a problem systematically or to add to man’s knowledge
of a problem”.
According to Saunders et al. (2007) “Research is something that people
undertake to find out things in a systematic way, thereby increasing their
knowledge”.
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What is Research …(continues)
• Research is the process of gathering information and data to
better understand a particular topic or phenomenon. It
involves using various methods and techniques to collect,
analyze, and interpret data to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Research is used to answer questions and solve problems, as
well as identify trends and opportunities. It is an essential
tool for businesses and organizations, as it allows them to
make more informed decisions and stay competitive in their
respective market.
• Companies often conduct market research to create
strategies for growth, develop new products and services,
and improve existing ones. R&D department is usually
entrusted with research activities.
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Characteristics of research
Saunders et al. (2007) state that there are three key characteristics of research as
follows:
Data are collected systematically.
Data are interpreted systematically.
There is a clear purpose: to find things out.

Based on the definitions above, there are several characteristics of research that
researchers should acquaint themselves with. They are as follows:
• Research is a systematic (stage by stage) process. An appropriate process must be
followed in order to conduct a study.
• Research is usually conducted to study a problem.
• Researchers conduct an in-depth and critical analysis of all data that they have
collected to ensure that there is no error in the interpretation.
• Research is based on observation or direct experience by the researchers.
• Research is objective, unbiased, and logical.

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Benefits of research
There may be many reasons for research. For example, it can help the researcher investigate some existing
situation or problem (Hussey and Hussey, 1997).
Here are some of the benefits of research:
1. Improved decision-making
Research can provide the data and information necessary to make more informed decisions. This can help
organizations and businesses make better decisions in a timely manner.
2. Increased efficiency
Research can help identify processes that are inefficient and provide ways to improve them. This can help
organizations and businesses save time and money by streamlining their operations.
3. Improved customer satisfaction
Research can be used to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences. This can help organizations
and businesses develop products and services that are more tailored to their customers’ needs, resulting
in increased customer satisfaction.
4. Increased innovation
Research can identify potential opportunities and new ideas that can be used to create innovative
products and services.
5. Reduced risks
Research can help organizations identify potential risks and take measures to mitigate them. This can help
them reduce the chances of failure and increase the chances of success.

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What is meant by Philosophy of Research?
The way in which research is conducted may be conceived of
in terms of the “Research Philosophy” subscribed to.
A research philosophy is a belief about the way in which data
about a phenomenon should be gathered, analyzed and used.
The term epistemology (what is known to be true) as opposed
to doxology (what is believed to be true) encompasses the
various philosophies of research approach. The purpose of
science, then, is the process of transforming things believed
into things known: doxa to episteme. Two major research
philosophies have been identified in the Western tradition of
science, namely positivist (sometimes called scientific) and
interpretivist (also known as anti- positivist)(Galliers, 1991).
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Positivism

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Positivists believe that reality is stable and can be observed and described
from an objective viewpoint (Levin, 1988), i.e. without interfering with the
phenomena being studied.
They contend that phenomena should be isolated and that observations
should be repeatable. This often involves manipulation of reality with
variations in only a single independent variable so as to identify regularities
in, and to form relationships between, some of the constituent elements of
the social world. Predictions can be made on the basis of the previously
observed and explained realities and their inter-relationships.
"Positivism has a long and rich historical tradition. It is so embedded in our
society that knowledge claims not grounded in positivist thought are
simply dismissed as ascientific and therefore invalid" (Hirschheim, 1985,
p.33). This view is indirectly supported by Alavi and Carlson (1992) who, in
a review of 902 IS research articles, found that all the empirical studies
were positivist in approach.

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Anti-Positivist or Interpretivist
Interpretivists contend that only through the subjective
interpretation of and intervention in reality can that reality
be fully understood. The study of phenomena in their
natural environment is key to the interpretivist philosophy,
together with the acknowledgement that scientists cannot
avoid affecting those phenomena they study. They admit
that there may be many interpretations of reality, but
maintain that these interpretations are in themselves a part
of the scientific knowledge they are pursuing.
Interpretivism has a tradition that is no less glorious than
that of positivism, nor is it shorter.
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Discussion and Rationale for Choice of Approach
Both research traditions start in Classical Greek times with
Plato and Aristotle (positivists) on the one hand, and the
Sophists (anti-positivists) on the other.
Vreede (1995) observes that in both Organization Science and
Information Systems research, interpretive research used to
be the norm, at least until the late 1970s. Since that time,
however, the positivist tradition has taken a firm hold (Dickson
and DeSanctis, 1990), Orlikowski and Baroudi (1991) noting
that 96.8% of research in the leading US IS journals conform to
this paradigm. Pervan (1994b), in a review of 122 articles in
the GSS literature, observes that only 4 (3.27%) could be
described as interpretivist.
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over-riding concern is that the research we undertake
should be both relevant to our research question, as
set out in Chapter One, and rigorous in its
operationalization. Overall we believe that an
interpretivist philosophy is required for this purpose,
i.e. the understanding of how groups adopt and adapt
to the use of Information Systems, specifically
Group Support Systems.
This research involves an element of technology
transfer, insofar as the technology was not
previously installed in some of the organizations we
study. This thus requires that we play a part in the
implementation process.
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Comparative analysis of Positivism and Interpretivism

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