Report R5.1 Research Thinking in Management Seminar Leader: D. P. Dash, XIMB dpdash[at]ximb.ac.in The inaugural Research Training Seminar (RTS) of the academic year 2007-2008 provided an opportunity to meet the new doctoral scholars joining the academic community at XIMB as well as some of the existing members who have been participating in the research education initiatives here. The postgraduate curriculum in management followed in India already includes several topics related to research (e.g., descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, decision modelling, forecasting, operational research, multivariate techniques of data analysis, market research, systems analysis and design, and so forth). These topics are studied by doctoral scholars as part of their course work. The RTS series is designed to provide inputs on research not commonly provided in these postgraduate courses. The seminar series facilitates interaction with researchers from different backgrounds. These seminars focus on different forms of research thinking and research practice in a wide variety of contexts relevant to management. There is a slant towards interdisciplinary and integrative forms of research, which involve transcending disciplinary and other boundaries researchers often impose on themselves. The unusual focus of this seminar series and its contribution to research education have been documented and discussed by one of the regular participants in these seminars (Vakkayil, 2006). The fresh batch of doctoral scholars joining the XIMB community spoke about their motivations behind joining a doctoral programme in management. Some of them wanted to better understand the processes they have encountered during their professional work. Some of them wanted to develop the skills to guide others who might be interested in joining similar professions. A common thread was found in their presentations. All of them wanted to do research that would be useful for some well-defined clientele, for example specific professionals, women employees, farming communities, commercial banks, regulatory bodies, and various other organisations. Ordinarily speaking, nothing in research guarantees that the intended benefits would indeed accrue to such identified clientele. Results from well-intentioned research may even be misused to produce negative outcomes for such clientele--unless of course something in the design of research prevents that possibility. Given the common interest in conducting useful research, it becomes important to discuss how the design of research needs to be changed in order to ensure that the intended benefits indeed accrue. This is an important and perhaps fundamental challenge. It may call for significant revisions to our existing notions of research. The issue is important enough to warrant ongoing exchange of ideas with collaborators at other institutions and across disciplines. If research becomes too much focused on specific clientele, then how would it meet the requirement of generalisability or transferability? To illustrate the issues involved in this, an example from the study of languages was discussed. A community of children with hearing impairment could develop a sign language of their own (Nicaraguan Sign Language, discussed in Polich, 2005). One option for language researchers would be to study the vocabulary and syntax of this new language and identify elements that can be found in most languages--thus confirming some generalised knowledge of languages. However, this may not be very useful for children with hearing impairment--whether in Nicaragua or elsewhere. Another option for language researchers would be to study the form of interaction among the children that crystallised and developed the language. If researchers can arrive at a generalised knowledge of such interactions, then it might be possible to recreate or improve such interactions. Speaking of research thinking for management, it was noted that management is a practice which has its professionals and also its researchers. A distinction was made between the mindsets and approaches these two groups would bring to a practice. This led to the notion of "research as a paradigm of practice," i.e., adopting the basic temperament of research while engaging in some practice. It would of course mean the following: (a) focusing on what is unknown (b) doubting (any/all given facts, propositions, beliefs, assumptions) (c) being curious (seeking to generate a "certain thing"--as opposed to "a thing of a certain kind") (d) developing and adopting novel methods (e) working with conjectures and staying tentative In contrast, "profession as a paradigm of practice" would focus on expertise, time-tested methods, accumulated experience, standards of performance, and so forth. Instances of these two paradigms can be found in many practical domains--even in doctoral work. Following the paradigm of profession in one’s doctoral work, one would develop certain expertise (say, in using some software) and diligently apply time-tested methods in order to produce a thesis that can be recognised to be of a certain kind. Alternatively, following the paradigm of research in one’s doctoral work, one would doubt all propositions, methods, and expertise--although some of these must be used from time to time. The aim would be to deal with the unknown in a tentative sort of way, by producing a thesis which would hopefully be recognised as something unique--not just a thing of a certain kind. However, the polar opposition described above may have to be reconciled in practice--a point discussed elaborately in Vakkayil's (2006) article. While doctoral work is expected to produce a unique thesis, the work must nevertheless happen within the norms and conventions of the field and the host institution. References Polich, L. (2005). The emergence of the deaf community in Nicaragua. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. (Book information retrieved July 3, 2007, from http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/bookpage/EDCNbookpage.html) Vakkayil, J. D. (2006). Towards new visions of doctoral research: Experiences from an innovative research training programme. Graduate Journal of Social Science, 3(1), 82-101. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from http://www.gjss.nl/vol03/nr01/a05
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