Seymour, D; Crook, D and Rooke, J (1998) The role of theory in construction management: Reply to Runeson. Construction Management and Economics, 16(1), pp. 109-112. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
In his comment on Seymour, D.E., Crook, D.J. and Rooke, J.A. (1997) Construction Management and Economics, 15, 117-19 (Construction Management and Economics, 15, 299-302) argues that positivism provides the best insurance against bad research in construction management studies. He claims that positivist methods of theory building have been modified sufficiently to cope with the demands of management research. He accuses Seymour et al. of being anti-scientific in questioning the viability of these methods. In this short reply, we refute these assertions, pointing out some remaining obstacles to the application of positivist methods to management research.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | management theory; positivism; research methodology; research paradigms |
| Index terms: | theory building, management research, positivism, management theory, research methodology, insurance, paradigm |
| Subjects: | philosophical concept, education and knowledge transfer, management, economic analysis, data science, research design and methodology |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here