Research Foundations

This subject introduces students to the fundamental philosophical and theoretical issues underlying different research paradigms in Management and Marketing. Topics include: ontology, epistemology, axiology and methodology; the philosophy of science; the philosophy of social science; the nature of social inquiry; different paradigmatic approaches to understanding reality, including positivism, critical realism, social constructionism, and radical alternatives; and the nature of theory and the theory building process. The focus will be on understanding research as a social process where philosophical and theoretical issues have important implications for how we undertake research and for the legitimacy of our knowledge claims. The subject will also teach students academic writing skills to effectively make a case for their research.