Essay Comparing Research Philosophies: Business Research Context

This essay delves into the significance of research philosophy, particularly within the realm of business research. It meticulously compares various branches of philosophy, including ontology, epistemology, axiology, and paradigmatic approaches. The essay elucidates the characteristics of each, such as objectivism and subjectivism in ontology, and positivist and interpretivist perspectives in epistemology. It further explores axiology's role in assessing researcher values and the pragmatic approach, emphasizing the importance of selecting the appropriate research philosophy to avoid impacting study results. The essay also contrasts inductive and deductive research approaches, providing a comprehensive understanding of how different philosophical perspectives influence the research process and outcomes.

Essay

Research philosophy entails the way in which data regarding the specific phenomenon
should be assembled, evaluated and used. In business research or dissertation, research
philosophy has its importance as it guide the direction of scholar towards correct path. Hence, it
enables researcher in the task to attain the aim and objective of the study in an effective manner.
Here, in the present essay comparison will be shown between different branch of philosophy
such as ontological, epistemological, axiological and paradigmatic etc (Kitchin and Tate, 2013).
The ontological, epistemological, axiological and paradigmatic are the major foundation
of management research. In this regard, it can be said that ontology is the study of science and it
basically deals with the nature of reality. Furthermore, in other words it can also be stated that
ontology is concerned about the what kind of things which exist in universe. Ontology helps in
resolving answer to the question that whether the social entities should be perceived as the
subjective or objective. Herein, ontology has two different type of characteristics such as
objectivism and subjectivism. The objectivism feature of ontology entail that social phenomenon
and their meaning have existence (Bryman, 2012). However, subjectivism feature depict that
social phenomenon does not exist but it is developed from the perception and actions of different
social actors. Furthermore, ontology philosophy is further divided into two different sections
such as positivist ontology and interpretivist ontology. Here, researcher make use of positivist
ontology when it has direct access to the real world. However, in case of no direct access of
researcher with real world it applies interpretivist ontology.
However, completely different approach is followed by scholars when it makes use of
epistemology research philosophy. Epistemology is also being consider as another branch of
philosophy which comply with the source of knowledge. It concerned with the possibilities,
sources and limitations of the knowledge about the field of study. This philosophy helps in
setting the direction of researcher towards the correct path. This is because, on using
epistemological philosophy researcher make use of different source of knowledge such as
intuitive, authoritarian, logical and empirical knowledge etc. On gathering all these given
knowledge, researcher can reach on to the aim and objective of the study in an effectual manner.
In addition to this, in the study epistemology research philosophy is also divided into two parts
such as positivist epistemology and interpretivist epistemology (Denzin and Lincoln, 2011).
Herein, positivist epistemology is concerned with generalization and its thought is governed by
the hypothesis. However, in comparison to this interpretivist epistemology is concerned with the

specific context. This means the given philosophy is applied in the study when scholar is more
interested in assessing or examining the specific context of the study. Thus, in the epistemology
philosophy logical data is generated when the scholar of the study analyses the collected primary
data of the study. Thus, from this it can be stated that ontology philosophy gives description
about the things. However, in comparison to this epistemology philosophy gives direction to the
scholar regarding the manner particular thing in the study can be achieved.
Besides this, there are varied other philosophies too and these are as axiological and
paradigmatic. Axiology is being regarded as another branch of philosophy which assesses the
role of scholar's value in different stages of research process. In simple words, axiology refers as
the aim of conducted study. This branch of philosophy clarifies researcher whether it is trying to
predict the world or just improving its understanding about the same. It is also divided into two
part such as positivism axiology and interpretivism axiology (Lang and et.al., 2013). Positivism
axiology is the type of philosophy which consider the role of researcher as independent. In
addition to this, here the research is also being carried out by the scholar in a value free manner.
But, in comparison to this in interpretivism axiology researcher is being consider as the part of
study or the data which is being researched. Furthermore, paradigmatic is being regarded as
another most significant branch of research philosophy. Here, paradigmatic research philosophy
is based on the notion that there are number of ways for making an interpretation about world.
Hence, the given philosophy also reveal that single view of researcher cannot form the entire
picture of the conducted study. Here, paradigmatic research philosophy combines the aspect of
both positivism and interpretivism philosophy. In this regard, it can be said that pragmatic
researcher is just similar to architect (Research philosophy, 2016). This is because, the main goal
of architect is to construct building by using any means or method. Hence, the researcher which
follows pragmatic approach rely upon the major aim which to accomplish the formulated
objectives of the study and gives answer to the assessed research question. Hence, for the given
purpose scholar make use of different combination of research methods or the techniques.
Thus, it can be said that it is very necessary for the researcher that it should make a
selection of an appropriate research philosophy. This is because, wrong selection about the same
will lead to cause direct effect on the result of conducted study. Besides this, a researcher will
also have to make decision about the inductive and deductive study. Herein, inductive research
approach is the type of approach which begin with observation and ends with theory which

scholar formulates on the basis of result of observation (Bryman, 2012). In the inductive research
approach, researcher does not formulate hypothesis and hence it reaches on to the result of
conducted study on the basis of observation. In comparison to this deductive is another type of
approach in which researcher formulate hypothesis on the basis of existing theory. Hence, after
forming hypothesis researcher applies number of test and thus make the decision regarding the
hypothesis which should be accepted and rejected by the scholar.
From the whole essay it can be concluded that it is very beneficial for the scholar that it
should make the selection of research philosophy effectively. This is because, if ineffective
selection of the same will lead to hamper overall result of conducted study.

REFERENCES
Books, journals and online
Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. Oxford university press.Stanley, L., 2013. Feminist
praxis (RLE feminist theory): Research, theory and epistemology in feminist sociology.
Routledge.
Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. Sage.
Kitchin, R. and Tate, N. (2013). Conducting research in human geography: theory, methodology
and practice. Routledge.
Lang, T. and et.al. (2013). A research methodology study to map the process of initiating and
operating a randomised controlled trial of podoconiosis treatment in Northern Ethiopia.
Trials, 14(1), pp. 1-1.
Research philosophy. (2016). [Online]. Available through:
<http://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/>. [Accessed on 13th August 2016].