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Epistemology of Science (2225.YR.003216.4)

General information

Type:

 OBL

Curs:

 1

Period:

 S semester

ECTS Credits:

 3 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

By one widely held conception, epistemology is the attempt to understand the meaning, method, and logical structure of science by means of a logical and methodological analysis of the aims, methods, criteria, concepts, laws, and theories of science. It is thus an attempt to get a clear understanding of what science is and what is not. The major goal of this course os to provide students that understanding.
We would like to stress that this is an introductory course in epistemology. Our principles of selection of the topics included have been these: The selection should be intrinsically interesting. It should be relevant and comprehensible to a beginning student. It should serve to provoke discussion and criticism. We have also tried to relate the topics to current philosophical and methodological debates in the management area.

Course Learning Objectives

1.- Learning current debates within the Philosophy of Science area regarding Epistemological issues
2.- Develop basic skills and frameworks to do top quality research in Management

CONTENT

1. SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1. The nature of scientific research
2. Logical Positivism, Popper and Kuhn

Bibliography

1. Chalmers A.F.: What is this thing called science? (3rd edition). Indianapolis: Hacket.

2. Carl G. Hempel, ¿Studies in the Logic of Explanation.¿ In Hempel, Aspects of Scientific Explanation. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1948, pp. 135-75. Copyright 1948, The William and Wilkins Company.

3. Karl Popper, ¿Science: Conjectures and Refutations.¿ From Conjectures and Refutations, pp. 33-41, 52-59. New York: Harper and Row, 1963

4. Thomas S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 3rd Edition 1996 (First Edition 1962), The University of Chicago Press

5. Sutton and Staw, 1995, What theory is not¿, Administrative Science Quarterly: Vol. 40, 371-384

6. Aristotle: Metaphysics, Book 1, 980-982

2. SECTION 2: THE POSITIVIST PARADIGM

a) Positivistst research traditions, methodologies and reasoning
b) Evaluating Research Contributions

Bibliography

7. Philipp G. Frank, ¿The Variety of Reasons for the Acceptance of Scientific Theories.¿ Scientific Monthly 79 (September 1954): 139-45. Copyright 1954 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

8. Corley, K. and Gioja, D. (2011): Building Theory about Theory Building: What constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 36 (1): 12-32.

9. Hekman, D. R. et al. (2010). An examination of whether and how racial and gender biases influence customer satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal, 53: 238-264.

10. Butterfield, K. D., Trevino, L. K. & Ball, G. A. 1996.Punishment from the manager¿s perspective, Academy of Management Journal, 39: 1479¿1512.

11. Kilduff, Mehara, and Dunn (2011): From Blue Sky Research to Problem Solving: A Philosophy of Science Theory of New Knowledge Production, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 36 (2):287-318

12. Bonache, J., Sanchez, J., and Zárraga, C. (2009): ¿The Interaction of Expatriate Pay Differential and Expatriate Inputs on Host Country Nationals¿ Pay Unfairness¿, International Journal of HRM, 2009, Vol.20 (10): 2135-2149

13. Saku Mantere and Mikko Ketokivi (2013): Reasoning in Organization Science¿, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 38 (1): 70-89 (Note: read from page 70 to page 76 (up to Evaluating Deductive Reasoning)

3. SECTION 3: THE INTERPRETIVIST PARADIGM

a) The predecessors: Plato
B) Phenomenology
c) ETHNOGRAPHY, TRUTH AND PROGRESS IN MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

Bibliography

14. Plato, The Republic, Book VI and Book VII

15. Bansal, Patrina and Corley, Kevin, ¿The coming of Age for Qualitative Research: Embracing the diversity of qualitative methods¿, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 54 (2), April 2011

16. Newman, K.L. & Nollen, S.D. (1996) Culture and Congruence: The Fit between Management Practices and National Culture. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 27 (4), pp. 753-779.

17. Dan V. Caprar (2011): 'Foreign locals: A cautionary tale on the culture of MNC local employees', Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 42: 608-628

4. SECTION 4: MAKING YOUR LIFE IN THE ORGANIZATION FIELD

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Thomas S. Kuhn, 'Objectivity, Value Judgment, and Theory Choice,' in The Essential Tension, pp. 320-39. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1977.

- Jeffrey Pfeffer, 'Barriers to the Advance of Organizational Science: Paradigm Development as a dependent variable', Academy of Management Review, 1993, Vol 18, 599-620

- William Glick, Chet Miller and Laura Cardinal: 'Making a Life in the field of Organizational Science', Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2007, Vol. 28 , 817-835

Methodology

The course will be based on readings, some presentations, and, above all, the debate and the exchange of ideas. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to bring their insights and thoughts on the material assigned into class discussion.
Preparation before class. Students are expected to be prepared for each class session, including having read the assigned readings carefully. We would like to emphasize that for this course to be effective, there is no subsitute for students reading the articles before they meet in class to discuss them.

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

Description %
Contribution to in-class participation 25
Final exam 40
Reports to deliver in class 25
Presentations 10

Assessment criteria

Students are expected to come prepared to class.
The assessment for this course will comprise the following two elements:

1.- Contribution to in-class participation: 25%
2. Reports to be delivered: 25%
3. Oral presentation: 10%
2.- Final exam: 40%



In-class participation will be expected both on an individual and a group basis. Along the course, students will be organised in teams to discuss readings and case studies.

Bibliography

Moses, J. and Knutsen, T. (2019) Ways of Knowing. Competing Methodologies in Social and Political Science, Mcmillan International, Third Edition

Bonache, J. and Festing, M. (2020): "Research paradigms in international human resource management: An epistemological systematisation of the field?, The German Journal of HRM, DOI: 10.1177/2397002220909780


- Karl Popper, "Science: Conjectures and Refutations.? From Conjectures and Refutations, pp. 33-41, 52-59. New York: Harper and Row, 1963

- Saku Mantere and Mikko Ketokivi (2013): Reasoning in Organization Science?, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 38 (1): 70-89

- Ketokivi, M., & Choi, T. (2014). Renaissance of case research as a scientific method. Journal of Operations Management, 32(5), 232-240.

SECTION 2: THE NATURALIST/POSITIVIST PARADIGM

1. Theory Building Research: Inductive Case Studies

- Corley, K. and Gioja, D. (2011): Building Theory about Theory Building: What constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 36 (1): 12-32.

- Eisenhardt, K. M., & Graebner, M. E. (2007). Theory building from cases: Opportunities and challenges. Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 25-32.

- Butterfield, K. D., Trevino, L. K. & Ball, G. A. 1996.Punishment from the manager's perspective, Academy of Management Journal, 39: 1479-1512.

2. Theory Elaboration Research: Analytic Induction

- Robinson, W. S. (1951). The logical structure of analytic induction. American Sociological Review, 16(6), 812-818.

- Yan, A., & Gray, B. (1994). Bargaining power, management control, and performance in United States-China joint ventures: a comparative case study. Academy of Management journal, 37(6), 1478-1517.

- Bansal, P., & Roth, K. (2000). Why companies go green: A model of ecological responsiveness. Academy of management journal, 43(4), 717-736.


3. Evaluating Research Contributions

- Philipp G. Frank (1954), "The Variety of Reasons for the Acceptance of Scientific Theories.? Scientific Monthly 79.

- Gibbert, M., Ruigrok, W., & Wicki, B. (2008). What passes as a rigorous case study?. Strategic management journal, 29(13), 1465-1474.

- Kilduff, Mehara, and Dunn (2011): From Blue Sky Research to Problem Solving: A Philosophy of Science Theory of New Knowledge Production, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 36 (2):287-318

SECTION 3 THE ESSENTIALIST/INTERPRETIVIST PARADIGM

4. The Ethnographic Approach

- Van Maanen, J. (2011). Ethnography as work: Some rules of engagement. Journal of management studies, 48(1), 218-234.

- Dan V. Caprar (2011): "Foreign locals: A cautionary tale on the culture of MNC local employees?, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 42: 608-628

- Hassard, J., Morris, J., & McCann, L. (2012). ?My brilliant career'? New organizational forms and changing managerial careers in Japan, the UK, and USA. Journal of Management Studies, 49(3), 571-599.

5. The Phenomenological Approach

- Sanders, P. (1982). Phenomenology: A new way of viewing organizational research. Academy of management review, 7(3), 353-360.

- Sandberg, J. (2000). Understanding human competence at work: an interpretative approach. Academy of management journal, 43(1), 9-25.

- Lamb, P., Sandberg, J., & Liesch, P. W. (2011). Small firm internationalisation unveiled through phenomenography. Journal of International Business Studies, 42(5), 672-693.

SECTION 4 MAKING YOUR LIFE IN THE ORGANIZATION FIELD


- Thomas S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 3rd Edition 1996 (First Edition 1962), The University of Chicago Press

- Jeffrey Pfeffer, "Barriers to the Advance of Organizational Science: Paradigm Development as a dependent variable?, Academy of Management Review, 1993, Vol 18, 599-620

- William Glick, Chet Miller and Laura Cardinal: "Making a Life in the field of Organizational Science?, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2007, Vol. 28, 817-835

Timetable and sections