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Methodological implications of critical realism for entrepreneurship research

Methodological implications of critical realism for entrepreneurship research
Methodological implications of critical realism for entrepreneurship research
Few papers have offered clear guidance for the application of critical realism (CR) to empirical studies, particularly in the research field of entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to critically review how the methodological principles used to conduct CR-based research can be applied in empirical studies and to develop a critical realist case study research design to guide empirical work in entrepreneurship. I demonstrate the value of a CR-informed approach in empirical studies by drawing on a qualitative case study that explains the reality of entrepreneurial opportunities. My inclusion of the three domains of reality and various data analysis techniques within the process of conceptual abstraction and retroduction contributes a distinctive methodological development in this field, which illustrates how CR can work in an applied setting to explain competing theories. Such a research design enables us to conduct empirical studies and provide comprehensive causal explanations of complex social events.

1476-7430
118-139
Hu, Raymond Xiaoti
aa911c15-cebf-4cc2-b891-edcebccc9e2a
Hu, Raymond Xiaoti
aa911c15-cebf-4cc2-b891-edcebccc9e2a

Hu, Raymond Xiaoti (2018) Methodological implications of critical realism for entrepreneurship research. Journal of Critical Realism, 118-139. (doi:10.1080/14767430.2018.1454705).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Few papers have offered clear guidance for the application of critical realism (CR) to empirical studies, particularly in the research field of entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to critically review how the methodological principles used to conduct CR-based research can be applied in empirical studies and to develop a critical realist case study research design to guide empirical work in entrepreneurship. I demonstrate the value of a CR-informed approach in empirical studies by drawing on a qualitative case study that explains the reality of entrepreneurial opportunities. My inclusion of the three domains of reality and various data analysis techniques within the process of conceptual abstraction and retroduction contributes a distinctive methodological development in this field, which illustrates how CR can work in an applied setting to explain competing theories. Such a research design enables us to conduct empirical studies and provide comprehensive causal explanations of complex social events.

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e-pub ahead of print date: 5 April 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 437093
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437093
ISSN: 1476-7430
PURE UUID: ebe10e42-86af-467e-a877-3220ad91a8b4
ORCID for Raymond Xiaoti Hu: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0272-9842

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Date deposited: 16 Jan 2020 17:36
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:00

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Author: Raymond Xiaoti Hu ORCID iD

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