This assignment presents the structure of two different research projects, which investigate the same topic. Both of these projects are designed to explore the brand management in small firms. A positivist approach is taken to design the first research and the second one is designed from interpretivist position. The assignment also provides a comparison between positivism and interpretivism and identifies the extreme differences between these two philosophies.
One of the main differences between positivism and interpretivism might be found in their perception of the world. According to Easterby-Smith et al. (1991), for positivists the world is external and objective, while interpretivists regard it as socially constructive and subjective. They also state that the positivist researcher is independent from what is being observed and on the contrary when taking an interpretivism approach for research, the observer interacts with subject being observed. Furthermore, positivists focus on facts and aim to identify causal explanations and fundamental laws, while interpretivists concentrate on meanings and try to understand what is happening.
[...] The research should go through the stages of the following structure: 1. Defining the purpose of the research. With respect to the brand management in small firms, it is very interesting to investigate if all of the small enterprises adopt the same strategy or some of them pay more attention and therefore invest more resources in brand management than others. So, this research will be undertaken to answer the question: Why do some small companies make greater investments in brand management than others? [...]
[...] Both of them aim to explore the brand management in small firms, but from different perspectives - positivist and interpretivist. The projects clearly distinguish from each other in terms of the researcher's involvement and interaction, their focus, the methods and techniques which they use and the sample size which they observe. This assignment also shows the different limitations which these two approaches face. References: Aruba Chamber of Commerce [online]. Available at: [Accessed 15.12 .2012]. Central Bureau of Statistics of Aruba [online]. [...]
[...] Journal of Business Ethics, 87: 59-74. [...]
[...] Available at: [Accessed 15.12 .2012]. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Lowe, A Management Research. An Introduction, London: Sage. European Commission [online]. Available at: [Accessed 15.12 .2012]. Fisher, C., Buglear, J., Lowry, D., Mutch, A. and Tansley, C Researching and Writing a Dissertation: an essential guide for business students, 3rd ed., Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Pedigo, K. L. and Marshall, V Bribery: Australian managers' experiences and responses when operating in International markets. [...]
[...] The hypotheses also should be built appropriately to respond the key research question. In this particular case, based on a broad literature review and author's experience, it is suggested the research to focus on the following four hypotheses: Hypothesis The greater the annual turnover of the firm, the higher its brand orientation. Hypothesis Positive firm's turnover growth is related to high brand orientation. Hypothesis The greater the annual turnover of the firm, the greater investments made by the firm in brand identity. [...]
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