Paradigms in social research

The video explores the concept of paradigms in social and business research, tracing its origins to sociology. A paradigm encompasses researchers' beliefs about epistemology, ontology, research questions, scope, and methods, serving as a guiding template for research efforts. Paradigms are particularly significant in qualitative research due to its broader scope of study.

The video discusses Burrell and Morgan's influential model, which presents four paradigms based on two dimensions: the nature of social science (objective vs. subjective) and the nature of society (regulation vs. radical change). These paradigms are functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. Each paradigm approaches research questions and methodologies differently, ranging from studying organizational efficiency to examining power structures and societal inequalities.

Alternative frameworks for understanding research paradigms are also presented, including post-positivism, interpretivism/social constructivism, critical theory, and pragmatism. The video emphasizes that while there are competing ways of conducting and valuing business research, the underlying idea of diverse paradigms remains valid and important for understanding different approaches to knowledge creation and research in the field.