Moreover, in positivism studies the researcher is independent form the study and there are no provisions for human interests within the study. Crowther and Lancaster (2008) argue that as a general rule, positivist studies usually adopt deductive approach, whereas inductive research approach is usually associated with a phenomenology philosophy.
It has an atomistic, ontological view of the world as comprising discrete, observable elements and events that interact in an observable, determined and regular manner”. It has been noted that “as a philosophy, positivism is in accordance with the empiricist view that knowledge stems from human experience. Positivism depends on quantifiable observations that lead to statistical analyses. It has been a dominant form of research in business and management disciplines for decades. In these types of studies research findings are usually observable and quantifiable. In other words, the researcher is an objective analyst and she distances herself from personal values in conducting the study.
In positivism studies the role of the researcher is limited to data collection and interpretation in an objective way. The text below explains positivism research philosophy with the focus on business studies in particular.Īs a philosophy, positivism adheres to the view that only “factual” knowledge gained through observation (the senses), including measurement, is trustworthy. Nevertheless, in its essence, positivism is based on the idea that science is the only way to learn about the truth. The number variations in explaining positivism may be equal to the number of authors who addressed the area of research philosophy.
This is because there are vast differences between settings in which positivism is used by researchers. It has to be acknowledged that it is difficult to explain positivism research philosophy in a precise and succinct manner.
0 kommentar(er)
