| Abstrakt: |
We argue that research methodologies in management sciences often neglect the negative impact businesses may have on societies. To mitigate this problem, we suggest a deliberate integration of adjacent effects in the data collection of any topics under study. We call this approach to data sampling and collection, deviant scrutiny methodology. Deviant scrutiny can be defined as research methodology that emphasizes an integrative data collection that actively incorporates a variety of externalities into the dataset. The methodology shares three characteristics with Thomas Kuhn's view: 1. an identified conception, metaphysics and values, viz., the approach includes externalities and issues often neglected by the dominant narrative (i.e., sense of purpose); 2. an historical consideration focusing on emerging topics, or social facts, that affects society and organizations (i.e., sense of context); and, 3. the compulsory, by protocol, integration of evidences that challenge taken for granted assumptions and theories, and confronts the biases affecting scientific communities-of-practice (i.e., sense of awareness). The approach suggests the integration of a second level of data collection that includes what we call 'inconvenient' qualitative and/or quantitative data. Inconvenient data is defined as data that may affect negatively, and thus change, positively reported business' performance. The approach provides new insights to the problematic assumption of the detached, rational, and objective researcher proposed by positivist approaches. The paper suggests a deviant scrutiny protocol (i.e., 1. Choose a research topic; 2. Review "conventional" literature; 3. Active seek for information in unconventional sources; 4. Compare conventional and unconventional data; and, 5. Choose consciously the epistemological and theoretical framework to interpret the findings and build new theory). As well, throughout the paper we apply the method to a contemporary business and society issue, that is, the role of management research in addressing social inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
