How important is the role of reflexivity in qualitative research in management?
Donald A. Schön: The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action
Thanks!
If there is place for reflexivity in qualitative research in social science, (inspired from George Soros writings on reflexivity and fallibility and the uncertainty theory), then what would be the validity and reliability criteria?
Reflexivity enables you to reduce personal bias in your research.
You have in Burawoy, M. (1998). The extended case method. Sociological theory, 16:1, March 1998, p. 4 :
"The extended case method emulates the reflexive model of science that takes as its premise the intersubjectivity of scientist and subject on study. Reflexive science valorizes intervention, process, structuration and theory reconstruction. It is the Siamese twin of positive science that proscribes reactivity, but upholds reliability, replicability and representativness. Positive science, exemplified by survey research, works on the principe of the separation between scientist an the subjets they examine.
Positive science is limited by "context effects" (interview, respondent, field and situational effects), while reflexive science is limited by "power effects" (domination, silencing, objectivation and normalization).
The article concludes by considering the implications of having two models of science..."
Burawoy, M. (1998). The extended case method. Sociological theory, 16:1, March 1998
link in attachment
http://burawoy.berkeley.edu/Methodology/ECM.ST.pdf
Soros follows Karl Popper's fallibility of knowledge. If managers understand that their belief can be wrong, they can become reflexive. They look back and modify their organizational structure and policy based on their experience. Therefore, reflexibility is important in qualitative research in social science. Conscious reflexion based on feedback and experience help change organization.
When Soros is taking a position based on his knowledge or belief he understands that he is fallible. He then takes an insurance position for his hedge fund. He was reflexive.
Positive feedback continues to take the current position and negative feedback leads to changes in direction. In quantitative approach we use data to empirically test a theory or hypothesis. In qualitative approach we need to reflect to see whether our belief is correct or not. In case of qualitative approach we may no have many data points to prove or disprove your belief. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches enrich our understanding go the reality because the reality has many different dimensions.
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Dear Professors Hong Park and Mohamed Benmerikhi
Thank you for your valuable answers
Best regards
Thank you all for your valuable contributions to this thread on reflexivity!!!
I would say that reflexivity is useful for revealing the socially situated nature of research and thereby opening one's position to critique. So it helps us challenge understandings that would otherwise be presumed to be robustly correct. But it is also useful in a more constructive approach, in that it allows positions to be (re)developed in relational contexts through that openness and critique - thereby revealing multiple interpretations that collectively give a richer picture of how we might understand a phenomenon / behaviors.
I've linked to a paper and an abstract - which I hope might be helpful.
Article Reflexivity: Recursion and relationality in organizational r...
Article Relationally Reflexive Practice: A Generative Approach to Th...
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