Research Philosophies (Positivism, Interpretivism)

Congratulations, you have just achieved the first learning outcome for this topic! Let's move on to the next. 

Now, let me introduce you to three major philosophies:

1. positivism

2. interpretivism

3. pragmatism

Positivism: relates to the philosophical stance of the natural scientist. Critical realism focuses on explaining what we see and experience in terms of the underlying structures of reality that shape observable events. 

Interpretivism: is a subjectivist philosophy, which emphasizes that human beings are different from physical phenomena because they create meanings. Interpretivism studies meanings to create new, richer understandings of organizational realities.

Pragmatist ontology, epistemology, and axiology: are focused on improving practice. Pragmatists adopt a wide range of research strategies, the choice of which is driven by the specific nature of their research problems.

Find out more about these three major philosophies by watching the video. Enjoy!