Art versus Science Positivism, interpretivism, post- modernism

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Art versus SciencePositivism, interpretivism,
post- modernism

• Macro Marketing
• Theme 2, topic 4

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Positivism

• The key idea of positivism is that
• the social world exists externally, and
• that its properties should be measured through
  objective methods
• there can be no real knowledge but that which is
  based on observed facts
• reality is external and objective .
• Knowledge is only of significance if it is based
  on observations of this external reality
• (Easterby-Smith et al. 1991)

3
Interpretivism

• The key idea of interpretivism is that
• the social world exists according to how it is
  perceived and interpreted by people
• understanding of the world is reached by taking
  account of multiple realities, different
  perspectives and views
• focus is on understanding different situations,
  in the context of different times / places/
  people

4
Post modernism

• Anti-modernism
• Not order and rationality irrational and
  disordered
• Knowledge bounded
• Generalisations limited
• No universal truths
• Progress debatable
• Ephemeral, chaos fragmentation

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DIFFERENT RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES

• Interpretivism Defined-
• Interpretive
• Understanding
• Multiple realities
• Conceptual
• Situation specific

• Positivism Defined-
• Scientific
• Objective
• Validity Rigour
• Generalisable
• One reality

TO WHICH PHILOSOPHY DOES YOUR RESEARCH BELONG?
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RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER
POSITIVISM/ POST-POSITIVISM
INTERPRETIVISM/ RELATIVISM

• Detached, external observer
• Clear distinction between reason and feeling
• Aim to discover external reality rather than
  creating the object of study
• Strive to use rational, consistent verbal,
  logical approach
• Seek to maintain clear distinction between
  facts and value judgements
• Distinction between science and personal
  experience

• Researchers want to experience what they are
  studying
• Allow feelings and reasoning to govern actions
• Partially create what is studied, the meaning
  of phenomena
• Use of pre-understanding is important
• Distinction between facts and value judgements
  less clear
• Accept influence from both science and
  personal experience
• Primarily non-quantitative

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CONTINUUM OF RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES
Positivism

Interpretivism
Scientific Post-
Relativism Post- Positivism
Positivism/
Modernism Realism

Neo
Modern
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RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY A POSITION
Positivism

Interpretivism
Scientific Post-
Relativism
Post- Positivism Positivism
Modernism
Research Position
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FOCUS OF RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES
Concentrates on
Concentrates on description

understanding and explanation
and
interpretation
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RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH POSITION
Positivist/ Interpretivist/ Quantitative
Qualitative What? How should? How and Why?
Limited number Complex number of issues
of issues Seeking
generalisation Seeking explanation/
understanding
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Art versus science debate

• Applying unnecessary trappings of science to
  marketing?
• Difficulties - achieving overarching theory,
  objective knowledge, unified method
• Alienates practising manger and prospective
  managers?
• Is marketing an Art?

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Art versus science debate

• Marketing is an art
• It uses tools, techniques of aesthetic
  appreciation
• Focuses on endeavours of marketing practitioners

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Is Science Marketing?

• The marketing mix
• Target markets
• Marketing objectives
• - all developed in the context of science
• Peter and Olson (1983)

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Key Questions

• Is marketing a science?
• Although scientific procedures are employed in
  marketing, marketing is an art?
• Is marketing an art?
• The marketing of ideas?
• Should marketing be artistic?

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Marketing scientific theories

• No defensible criterion for distinguishing
  science from non-science
• purpose of science is to create useful knowledge
• to the degree that marketing has done so, it can
  be labelled a science
• Peter and Olson (1983)

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Marketing, Scientific Progress and Scientific
Method

• Scientific credentials couched in terms of an
  idealised notion of science as the ultimate
  source of objectively certified knowledge.
• Much research remains scattered and fragmented
• Difficult to determine what problem the research
  is attempting to solve or
• If the solution have any real significance to
  advancement of knowledge
• Follow-up studies are rare (Anderson 1983)

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What Marketing Needs

• Needs greater commitment to theory-driven
  programmatic research aimed at solving
  cognitively and socially significant problems
• This will contribute to a body of theory and
  collection of scientific problem that can count
  as being solved
• (Anderson 1983)

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Managerial/consumer perspectivesresearch
techniques
Managerial perspective
Consumer perspective
Analysis of company reports/materials In-depth
interviews/discussions Observation Managerial
diaries
Surveys Focus group discussions Observation Experi
ments
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• Emphasis on theory testing measuring
• Prior theory used to generate hypotheses
• Deductive
• Relatively structured
• Researcher objective, external perspective

METHODOLOGIES IN CONTEXT OF RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES
POSITIVISM/ POST-POSITIVISM
Surveys other multivariate techniques
Surveys structural equation modelling
Instrumental Case Studies


In-depth/Convergent
Interviews/ Focus
Groups(with/without interview protocol)

Action Learning/ Discovery
Learning.





Ethnographic
Emergent

Studies .. ..
Studies


Grounded


Theory..


Case Studies...
INTERPRETIVISM/ RELATIVISM

• Emphasis on theory building, meaning
  understanding
• Prior theory may be used at various times
• Inductive
• Relatively unstructured/semi-structured
• Researcher involvement as instrument

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Overview - art and science

• Strengths of scientific perspectives
• rigour, stability, validity, structure,
  dependability, reliability, comparability
• Strengths of artistic perspectives
• creativity, innovation, vision , flair,
  uniqueness, individuality

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Overview - art and science

• Is marketing or business solely scientific or
  artistic?
• Marketing and doing business are partially both -
  art and science
• Both need structures, rigour, etc and artistic
  flair
• Marketing as a professional discipline drawing
  from both