European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies

Ethics Management Framework for Local Government in South Africa: Category A Municipality

Simphiwe Mngonyana — 2026-07-22

There is a lack of a context-specific, integrated ethics management framework that adapts King IV principles to the operational authenticities of South African local government which contribute to persistent corruption and weak accountability mechanisms that undermine public trust. This study aimed to develop an integrated ethics management framework for local government, using the City of Cape Town as a case study. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was used, involving a survey of 57 junior and middle managers and interviews with senior managers within the HR department. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, underpinned by institutional theory, virtue ethics, and stewardship theory. Key challenges include political interference, coalition fragmentation, cadre deployment, and tick-box training programmes. Thus, prioritising an ethical climate and systemic reforms such as depoliticised oversight and values-based interventions is essential to restore public trust and good governance.

Living Labs as Research Methodology: From Innovation Buzzword to Epistemic Tool

Fabrizio Amarilli — 2026-07-22

Living Labs have proliferated across EU-funded research programmes as vehicles for co-designing solutions to complex urban challenges, yet their methodological implications remain poorly understood. The literature primarily theorises Living Labs as platforms for co-creation and innovation delivery rather than as a research approach, leaving unexamined what they distinctively enable researchers to know. This paper investigates the epistemic capabilities the Living Lab approach makes available and how these differ from established field research methods. Drawing on four years of embedded experience within FOOD TRAILS, a Horizon 2020 project establishing urban food policy Living Labs across eleven European city-regions, a comparative framework is developed positioning Living Labs alongside case study research, ethnography, and participatory action research across six dimensions. The analysis identifies four epistemic capabilities that no single comparator method offers with comparable structural depth: extended engagement across complete policy implementation cycles; simultaneous access to diverse stakeholder perspectives through the quadruple helix architecture; real-time observation of dissemination and acceptance dynamics; and tracking emergent patterns through active intervention. The paper also documents a systematic theory-practice gap in which funded programme conditions constrain the realisation of these capabilities. These findings offer both a comparative methodological framework and practical guidance for scholars increasingly required to adopt a Living Lab approach.

Implementation Science as a Research Methodology: A Scoping Review of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)

Wendy Barber — 2026-07-22

The use of implementation science has long been used for studying the effectiveness of medical/health related initiatives, yet it has not yet been widely used for broad studies of the impacts of business reforms or educational initiatives (Walters, W. & Barber, W. 2025). Policy reforms are constantly changing, however analysis of these reforms has not been consistently measured to assess implementation success. The purpose of this scoping literature review is to examine the breadth of existing literature related to Implementation Science, and further the instrument used to measure program impact, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), and to explore how these commonalities and research strategies used in health care settings might be applied to other sectors. The CFIR is a comprehensive taxonomy of operationally defined constructs that may impact the implementation success of complex programs. The CFIR defines five domains (intervention characteristics, outer setting, inner setting, characteristics of individuals and process), each with constructs and some sub-constructs which can affect implementation success. To date, the CFIR has been applied to a wide variety of quantitative, qualitative and mixed healthcare-related studies for a variety of purposes across five domains. In summary, the authors contend that the CFIR can be modified as a new research methodology for measuring program impact across a broad range of sectors.

Fostering Scholarly Collaboration: A Longitudinal Ethnographic Study of Departmental Co-Authoring Initiatives

Wafeequa Ben — 2026-07-22

In response to increasing institutional pressure for enhanced research productivity and measurable performance outputs, this study presents a longitudinal ethnographic case study of a strategic initiative implemented to formalise and strengthen scholarly collaboration within an academic department. The initiative involved the intentional formation of research clusters comprising academics with shared research interests who progressed through three structured phases of collaborative writing. Drawing on a relational-cultural conceptualisation of scholarly collaboration, the study examines collaboration as an evolving organisational practice rather than solely as an output metric. A longitudinal ethnographic research design was adopted over a twelve-month period, during which empirical data were generated through participant observation, reflective journals and departmental documents that captured the evolving relational and organisational dynamics of collaborative writing. Although the initiative provided identical structural conditions across three research groups, outcomes diverged significantly, only one group achieved publication during the study period. Doctoral stage and workload intensity emerged as moderating factors influencing collaborative momentum and output realisation. This study also identified gains in research confidence, the redistribution of scholarly agency and mentorship formalisation even within groups that did not publish. The findings contribute theoretically by distinguishing between collaboration as a relational process and publication as a measurable artefact, and methodologically by demonstrating the value of longitudinal ethnography for analysing evolving organisational practices in higher education. The findings suggest that structured co-authoring initiatives can foster collaborative cultures, but their impact remains conditional upon career-stage capacity and relational dynamics within departments.

Validation of Psychometric Properties of an Instrument Measuring Employee Job Performance: The Case of Individual Work Performance Questionnaire

Alex Boateng — 2026-07-22

Job performance (JP) remains a topical construct in both the academic and practical literature because it offers employees several benefits and the organisation, success and competitive advantage in the turbulent business environments. Thus, using a rigorous instrument to assess JP is considered vital to generate credible results to inform strategic human resources policy decisions. Currently, among the plethora of existing instruments, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) appears to be the most widely used instrument. Despite the extensive interest in the IWPQ, not much is known about its psychometric properties in the Ghanaian work context. This study provides evidence of the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the IWPQ instrument from the Ghanaian work environment, emphasising the usefulness of this instrument in a developing African country work context. A quantitative online cross-sectional approach was employed. The IWPQ instrument was returned by 347 out of 430 participants who were conveniently recruited from a Ghanaian financial work environment. Data were explored using descriptive statistics, EFA and CFA techniques. The EFA findings demonstrated a three-factor structure for the IWPQ instrument: task performance, contextual performance and counterproductive work behaviours, respectively. Moreover, the CFA findings affirmed the internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity and fitness of the three-factor JP model, thereby supporting the construct validity of the IWPQ instrument. The findings show that the IWPQ instrument is reliable and valid within the sample, implying that practitioners and academics can use it to examine and understand employees’ JP related behaviours in the understudied institution.

Analytical Pluralism in Phenomenological Research: Exploring Coach Psychological Flexibility During COVID-19

Teresa Carmichael — 2026-07-22

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of coaches who integrated Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles into their professional practice and personal lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research examined how this integration influenced psychological flexibility, self-development, self-practice, and well-being amid the pandemic's uncertainty and disruption. To account for the conceptual and experiential complexity of the inquiry, an analytically pluralistic approach was adopted to enable multiple interpretive lenses. A layered design combined reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) for breadth and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) for depth, aligning the epistemological stance of critical realism with the functional contextualist assumptions underpinning ACT. Twelve experienced ACT-informed coaches from diverse global contexts were purposively recruited via professional networks and social media. Each participant, with at least 100 hours of coaching experience, engaged in a 60–90-minute semi-structured online interview that incorporated reflective prompts to elicit rich narrative accounts in a supportive environment. Data were initially inductively coded using NVivo, following the phases of RTA with a semantic focus. Subsequently, three data-rich transcripts were analysed using IPA, involving descriptive, linguistic, and conceptual noting, leading to the development of personal and group experiential themes. The integration of RTA and IPA findings provided nuanced responses to the research questions, enriching interpretation by distinguishing between explicit and hermeneutic, and between pragmatic and existential dimensions. Although methodologically demanding, this dual-analytic approach deepened understanding of how ACT principles, integrated into coaching and personal life, supported psychological flexibility and well-being during a global crisis.

Using Custom AI Tool to Support Novice Researchers’ Philosophy and Paradigm Decision-Making

Tshilidzi Catlyn — 2026-07-22

This study aimed to gain understanding of acceptance of the Research Philosophy Predictive (RPP) application by post graduate educators using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The RPP is a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) based model developed using machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP). The RPP was developed with the purpose of assisting post graduate students with determining a research philosophy most aligned with their personal worldviews, beliefs and assumptions about the natures of reality and knowledge. It was pertinent to understand the adoption of the RPP from a teaching perspective. The UTAUT model, widely used for evaluating technology acceptance, was used as a theoretical framework in the current study through qualitative inquiry. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews from South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) rated educators from three universities in Gauteng province of South Africa. The UTAUT determinants of technology acceptance in the study are effort expectancy, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, social Influence and behavioural intention to use. Findings of the study revealed that positive feedback from educators in various research fields.

Reconceptualising Research Methodology Teaching in the Age of AI to Rethink How Researchers Are Formed

Melisa Chawaremera — 2026-07-22

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into academic research practices has begun to unsettle long-standing assumptions about how research methodologies are taught in education. While existing scholarships largely frame AI as a technical tool to be regulated or mastered, far less attention has been given to its implications for the teaching of research methodology itself. This conceptual paper argues that AI necessitates a fundamental shift in methodological education, from transmission of procedural research skills to the cultivation of methodological judgement. Drawing on methodological theory and contemporary debates on AI-mediated knowledge production, this paper reconceptualises AI, not merely as a support mechanism for research activities, but as a methodological actor that reshapes decisions relating to research design and theoretical development. It is contended that traditional pedagogical approaches, which emphasise method selection and procedural compliance, are increasingly inadequate in AI-augmented research environments. Rather than treating AI as a pedagogical concern, this paper situates it within the core of methodological education and argues for a recalibration of what it means to teach research methods not only in business and management studies but beyond. It advances the notion of methodological judgment as a central pedagogical aim in AI–mediated research environments. This is done through emphasis on the importance of epistemic awareness and critical engagement with AI-assisted research processes. It is the aspiration of this paper to offer a conceptual lens through which research methodology curricula may be reoriented towards cultivating researchers capable of exercising informed methodological discretion in increasingly AI-augmented contexts.

Exploring the Practice-Research Nexus in Entrepreneurship Skills Development: A Critical Realist Study

Valindawo Valile M Dwayi — 2026-07-22

“Human society has not developed in accordance with a prearranged plan, but empirically, in the course of a long, complicated and contradictory struggle” (Trotsky, 1986, pp.24). This paper engages the power of transcendentalism by applying the social realist explanatory program as anchored on the critical realist philosophy. At the core of the claims is the main argument that what can easily become the mainstreamed ways of thinking-making-doing about the social world tend to stem from the de-ontologised positions and their self-referential explanations, which always derive from the default positions and the faulty consciousness about the idea of “being”. Methodology, the study thus questioned what could be the dialectical relationship of entrepreneurship skills development as the field of practice and of research. As such, this reflective practice project was anchored on the transcendental argument/question, “What is it that must have allowed for the management and leadership of entrepreneurship skills development projects to be managed in the way that were in the four cases of faculties and the coordinating unit at a selected university of technology in South Africa?” By such a question, the paper argues for the matters of “space” and thus business and management functions, “beyond” the physical in terms of what can be argued as the de-ontologised positions and their self-referential explanations, which always derive from the default positions and the faulty consciousness about the idea of “being”. The “becoming”, as the new realms of possibilities, which must be anchored on deep change, which is stratified, causally efficacious, and emergent. The findings therefore is a proposed conceptual framework that draws on transcendentalism about the business and management practices, per the cited cases, but also the practical implications about engagement and transformation of higher education as most institutions are starting their first year of the institutional strategic plans towards vision 2030. As such, value addition about the paper is its scholarly contribution about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 4 on Quality Enhancement and Goal 17 on International Partnerships. In that way, the value of scholarship about entrepreneurship skills development is potentially in terms of the theory-methodology-practical program chain.

A Doctoral Colloquium: Examination of a Doctoral Theses: From a Theatre of Control to a Space of Collective Learning and of Knowledge-Making

Valindawo Valile M Dwayi — 2026-07-22

Abstract: “Human society has not developed in accordance with a prearranged plan, but empirically, in the course of a long, complicated and contradictory struggle” (Trotsky, 1986, pp.24). This paper reports on the reflective engagements about the topic, From a Theatre of Control to a Space of Collective Learning and of Knowledge-Making, with a co-researcher in the collaborative international research space. The engagement emerged from the following question, “Why do some peer reviewers expect a manuscript to bend to their will, as though the author’s intellectual labour is merely a vessel for their own unfulfilled agenda?” At ECRM 2024, I tried to address this matter as the need to continuously engage the tight boundary objects and gatekeeping strategies in the pursuit of the intellectual project. At ECRM 2026, I proposed a rejoinder, specifically about why a Meta-theory matters in a Doctorate Study? A Doctorate Qualification, while significant, its success measure is
to reflect the claims that portray new knowledge as transcendence into new trajectories of knowledge. However, the nature of a Doctorate examination may make the character of the process susceptible to the inherent power dynamics about knowledge. The claims in this paper follow a personal experience of a theses rejection twice. I understood those rejections as navigating the Doctoral Journey, as being in conversation about the examination in a process which is open and complex. While at ECRM 2024, the focus was on the three thinking tools (Judgemental Rationality, Epistemic Relativism, and the
Ontological Collapse of the Natural Necessity), at ECRM 2026, the discussion revolved around the value of the meta—theory chapter. Therefore, the findings of these reflections entail what must be the value of casting a deep eye into the system of examination as the reflexive generative methodology, that is, by reflecting in more critical ways about the history and social relations about a Doctorate Study. Such a system need to understand the complexity of power relations and its inherent politics of knowledge/knowledge wars. The ability to manage the power dynamics in the latter context refers to the growth and maturity about the field, both as the nexus of theory and of practice. In the case under review, the processes entailed questioning the ideological positions of both the candidate and of the examiners, where the examination process could be described as a discursive space. By role playing the paper refers specifically to the examination process as the exercise of agency where the implicit assumptions about the examination process is a social system, and in ways that the potential
disjuncture between the elements, can make for the examiner not to be able to understand fully the life world of the candidate, at least from a philosophical position.

Nominal Ranking Methodology: Strategic Information Management Principles for Commercialising Inventions

Sithembiso Khumalo — 2026-07-22

There is a growing need to use strategic intelligence (SI) to navigate from an environment that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, to an environment with strategic vision, understanding, clarity, and accuracy. The ability to clarify complex environments, enables organisations to reach accurate decision-making quicker and avoid elements of surprise. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be part of the problem and the solution to decision-making fatigue. For example, AI agents can liberate time-poor analysts to focus on tasks where human value-add lies in human sense of reality, applying their expertise and tacit knowledge. The research objective is to identify SI clusters relevant to strategic decision-making in complex business environments. The research question is: what relevance does SI have in complex environments for accuracy in strategic decision-making? The PRISMA method for systematic literature reviews was utilised for this research paper, combined with Vosviewer co-occurrence mapping, which produced five clusters linked to SI to navigate complex environments. This paper describes a systematic review of secondary data to investigate SI in complex environments and presents the findings of SI clusters with its relevance to accurate interpretation of data and information for strategic decision-making. The paper highlights the role of SI coupled with the rapid development of tools such as generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI used in complex environments for accurate interpretation. This research used Boolean search strings to gain access to relevant articles, 115 articles were retrieved with only ten articles meeting the criteria for analysis after the use of the PRISMA method and the application of eligibility criteria. The recommendation is that in complex environments strategic decision makers must combine their human analytical strengths with the strengths of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the processing of large volumes of data, information, and knowledge. By combining SI and agentic AI, strategic decision makers turn complexity into opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth. In the agentic era, accurate decision-making requires a human in the loop.

Strategic Intelligence in Complex Environments for Complexity to Accuracy in Strategic Decision-Making

Sithembiso Khumalo — 2026-07-22

Challenges of Conducting Case Study Research in the Logistics Sector:

Nelisa Mabenge — 2026-07-22

Case study research has become an increasingly important methodological approach for examining complex and context-dependent phenomena within logistics and supply chain environments. However, the structural characteristics of logistics systems, including commercial sensitivity, multi-actor governance structures, digital interdependence and disruption-prone operating conditions, create distinctive methodological challenges for qualitative researchers. This paper examines the principal challenges associated with conducting case study research within logistics organisations and explores how these conditions shape research design, data collection and methodological rigor. The paper identifies three interrelated methodological challenges: access and gatekeeping, data fragmentation and multi-level complexity, and sector-specific disruptions affecting the research setting. The analysis demonstrates how commercially sensitive operational environments may restrict organisational access, how fragmented and interdependent logistics systems complicate data triangulation and case boundary definition, and how operational disruptions may affect longitudinal consistency during fieldwork. In response, the paper proposes adaptive and context-sensitive research design strategies to strengthen qualitative case study research within logistics environments. These include phased access negotiation, embedded and multi-level case study designs, multi-stakeholder sampling, reflexive documentation practices and structured triangulation frameworks. The paper further argues that logistics should be understood not merely as an empirical setting, but also as a distinctive methodological context that shapes the feasibility, design and rigor of qualitative case study research. By linking logistics-specific operating conditions to broader methodological debates concerning qualitative rigor and adaptive research design, the study contributes to methodological scholarship within logistics and supply chain research while offering practical guidance for researchers undertaking case study research in complex and operationally intensive environments.

Reframing Pastoral Research Methodology for Theological Education: Practical, Participatory, and Action-Oriented Approaches

Mfazo Cliford Madondo — 2026-07-22

Pastoral research methodology is reimagined for academic and ministerial formation contexts within South African theological education and the wider continent. The contention is that a reframed pastoral research methodology is necessary for African theological schools because theological knowledge, pastoral strategies, and ecclesial assumptions are historically contingent, contextually embedded, and frequently disrupted by social, economic, and cultural changes. African theological schools constitute a distinctive research context that requires methodological approaches attentive to ecclesial praxis, participation, and institutional realities. While theological schools, whether located in public universities, or operating as private seminaries and denominational colleges, constitute a significant yet under-researched sector. Meaning, despite their scales of influence, theological research and education often neglect emphasising the research methodology dimension as a site of sustained empirical research. Existing research methodological approaches maintain theological affirmations for pastoral and ecclesial good practice and lack pastoral research praxis transformation. This paper contributes to the “Practical Applications of Research Methods” track of the 25^th ECRM by advancing action research and participatory methodologies suited to theological research, education and pastoral practice. It addresses a foundational but often neglected question in theological research and education: why research approach and method are essential to ministerial and theological formation beyond ecclesial “good practice.” It therefore situates theological inquiry within broader ecclesial realities in which many cause–effect relationships within ecclesial contexts comprising the interaction between economic pressures, religious participation, and pastoral sustainability, remain insufficiently empirically tested. Using theology of development perspectives, the paper reframes pastoral research methodology for theological research and education to address the “church economy,” denominational systems, and institutional dynamics. Methodologically, it integrates classic and contemporary practical theology research frameworks, including Osmer’s four tasks, qualitative and participatory designs, and phenomenological approaches and procedures to study lived religion. It highlights work-integrated learning as a legitimate site of data generation and praxis transformation consolidating current research ethical requirements under the South African and international research governance standards. The paper offers an ethically grounded step-by-step pastoral research methodology template tailored to African theological schools, ministerial formation, and ecclesial contexts.

Evidence of Constructivism and Co-Constructivism in a Qualitative Research Interview: A Doctoral Pedagogy

Mfazo Cliford Madondo — 2026-07-22

Within the interpretivist research paradigm, meaning is generated through constructivist processes, interactive dialogue, and the co-construction of knowledge between researcher and participant. However, qualitative interviewing practices in doctoral research often remain methodologically modernist and procedurally unidirectional, privileging the researcher's questions while silencing the interviewee's capacity to interrogate, challenge, or shape the knowledge-making process. When interviewees are not afforded dialogical opportunities to pose questions, interviews risk becoming extractive rather than interpretive encounters. Drawing on sustained doctoral supervision and facilitation experiences across South African public and private higher education institutions, this paper explores the extent to which qualitative interview practices operationalise core interpretivist principles. A qualitative document analysis was conducted on interview schedules, methodology chapters, and analysis chapters from 20 completed Master’s and Doctoral theses in Business Administration and Business Management. The analysis focused on identifying explicit and implicit evidence of interactive dialogue and co-construction of knowledge within examinable research artefacts. The findings reveal a persistent misalignment between claimed interpretivist positioning and actual research practice. While all students employed semi-structured interviews and articulated interpretivist or constructivist assumptions, none of the interview schedules explicitly enabled interviewees to pose questions or initiate dialogical exchanges. Furthermore, the methodology and analysis chapters rarely document moments where participants actively shaped meaning, corrected the researcher's interpretations, or influenced the analytic trajectories, despite such moments being central to co-constructed knowledge. Where interpretive corrections by interviewees occurred, these were typically untheorised and under-analysed, resulting in their exclusion from the formal methodological narrative. The paper concludes that many master's and doctoral qualitative interviews remain governed by modernist logics of control and standardisation, even when framed as interpretivist inquiries. This disjunction undermines the epistemological integrity of interpretivist research. The paper argues for a paradigmatic shift toward dialogical interview designs that explicitly legitimise participant questioning, reflexive interruptions, and negotiated meaning-making. Practically, the paper offers conceptual guidance for doctoral researchers on designing, documenting, and analysing interviews in ways that more authentically enact constructivism and co-creation of knowledge, thereby strengthening both methodological rigour and epistemic credibility in interpretivist doctoral research.

Participatory Digital Storytelling for Data Collection and Research Communication

Noel Pearse — 2026-07-22

This study examines the application of digital storytelling as an innovative, emerging participatory data-collection technique and communication medium in research. Digital storytelling combines narrative with multimedia elements—such as images, audio, and video—to convey complex information in a relatable, emotionally engaging way, thereby translating research into compelling, human-centred narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Several studies have examined the use of digital storytelling. The main focus of what is available has been on its applications in teaching practice and the production of digital stories as a means to archive knowledge for later access by unknown users or to capture tacit knowledge for future use. Few studies focus on conceptualising digital storytelling as a robust research methodology to attain specific outcomes. Digital storytelling can help address the problem of knowledge gaps that frequently arise in research and is positioned here as a means of knowledge brokering (or knowledge transfer and exchange, KTE) and engaged research. KTE has traditionally sought to address knowledge gaps that arise when applying research outputs to inform policy and improve practice. The development of Integrated Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (iTKE) as an alternative to traditional KTE increasingly involves people as research participants throughout the research process, promoting two-way exchange. Engaged Research is presented as a progressive alternative to KTE and iTKE, which values and can incorporate local and indigenous knowledge. In this paper, digital storytelling is explored as a data collection technique that facilitates participatory research, promotes inclusion, values and promotes indigenous knowledge, and improves communication and awareness of issues within communities. Two case studies, the One Ocean Hub initiative with the South African National Parks, and the Indigenous Marine Innovations for Sustainable Ecological Economies (IMISEE) project, illustrate its use. Key characteristics and challenges of digital storytelling are identified and discussed. The paper concludes with suggestions for using digital storytelling for knowledge transfer and exchange.

Using AI And Research Methods To Prepare The Next Generation

Martin Rich — 2026-07-22

Generative Artificial Intelligence has had a profound and continuing impact on both research and on higher education in recent years. There are a number of issues arising from this which are particularly relevant to teaching research methods at undergraduate level. Generative AI has considerable potential to facilitate research, notably in reviewing literature, and as such its use should arguably be part of the syllabus for students on a taught degree course. However much of the dialogue, so far, about generative AI in the context of university teaching, particularly at the undergraduate level, has focused on concerns that its use by students weakens established forms of assessment and could inhibit learning through being used as a short cut to obtaining a degree. To complicate the picture further, undergraduates are preparing to enter an uncertain environment for employment, with a concern that generative AI will directly affect many graduate-level jobs and that during their careers it will change the landscape within which they work in ways that cannot possibly be predicted. This paper builds on earlier conceptual work presented at ECRM in 2025 and uses data gathered in a focus group of recent Business Management graduates who took a research methods in their final year. It uses their experience to identify pointers for how use of generative AI can be incorporated into the teaching of research methods and how this can prepare a forthcoming generation of students for the workplace. The recent graduates participated in a focus group in which they reported varying experiences of use of AI whilst they were studying and following university. There were considerable differences between individuals in their propensity to engage with AI and in the resources that they used to support this engagement. However, a common theme highlighted by participants was the scope for universities to provide more thorough guidance about the practicalities of students’ use of AI.

Listen as Method: Reframing Listening Circles as a Qualitative Approach in Business and Management Research

Flip Schutte — 2026-07-22

Business and management research increasingly engages with complex, context-dependent challenges that demand methods capable of capturing lived experience, tacit knowledge, and collective meaning-making. In community-embedded and emerging-economy contexts, conventional extractive approaches, such as surveys and structured interviews, often fail to yield the depth of insight required for organisational decision-making, strategy development, and curriculum innovation. This paper examines listening circles as an innovative qualitative data collection method for business and management research. Drawing on participatory and dialogic research traditions, listening circles extend focus group approaches by emphasising structured listening, narrative sharing, dialogic data generation and collective reflection. Rather than positioning participants as respondents to researcher-driven questions, this method creates conditions for participants to co-construct knowledge through shared experiences and dialogue. The paper offers a conceptual and methodological analysis of listening circles in research design, outlining key considerations including facilitation, sampling, ethical protocols, and data analysis. It also demonstrates how listening circles can be integrated into qualitative and mixed-methods research designs to support organisational learning, stakeholder engagement, and contextually responsive decision-making. By reframing listening circles as a rigorous qualitative method rather than a purely engagement-focused practice, this study contributes to ongoing debates about methodological innovation, reflexivity, and ethical research in business and management studies.

The Application of Research Methods in Practice for the Efficiency of the Involvement of Academic Staff in the Formation of Intellectual Capital

Inese Spica — 2026-07-22

The application of research methods in practice for the efficiency of the involvement of academic staff in the formation of intellectual capital at scientific institutions is highly topical. The object of the research is the application of research methods in practice for the efficiency of the involvement of academic staff in the formation of intellectual capital at scientific institutions in various branches of science while the subject of the research is the comparative analysis of the efficiency indicators of intellectual capital formation at scientific institutions in various branches of science in Latvia. The objective of the research is the application of research methods in practice for the efficiency of the involvement of academic staff in the intellectual capital formation at scientific institutions in various branches of science in Latvia in the period from 2013 to 2018. The following tasks were set to reach the objective: (1) to study the application of research methods in practice for the efficiency of the involvement of academic staff in the formation of intellectual capital at scientific institutions in various branches of science; (2) to calculate the main efficiency indicators thereof; and, (3) to carry out the comparative analysis of indicators characterising the efficiency of intellectual capital formation at scientific institutions in various branches of science in Latvia. Research methods used in the paper are as follow: content analysis, economic analysis, and economic experiment.

Autoethnography in Action: A Reflexive Methodological Approach to Investigating Academic Workload Allocation

Lizl Steynberg — 2026-07-22

This paper positions autoethnography as a rigorous, emotionally reflexive, and ethically grounded methodology
for interrogating academic workload allocation in South African higher education institutions (HEIs). Drawing on 31 years of
lived academic experience, the study integrates emotional reflexivity and ideographic inquiry to examine how
managerialism, coercive governance, and neoliberal accountability mechanisms shape the lived realities of academic labour.
Through personal narrative, the research illuminates the emotional, ethical, and political dimensions of academic life,
revealing how invisible labour, surveillance, and inequitable workload models produce exhaustion, alienation, and moral
injury. Autoethnography is advanced as both a methodological tool and a form of resistance that legitimizes insider
knowledge and challenges technocratic paradigms. The study adopts an analytic autoethnographic approach, emphasizing
theoretical engagement, institutional critique, and systematic triangulation of reflective journals, institutional documents,
policy texts, and critical theory. Emotional reflexivity is employed as an ethical and analytical stance, enabling interrogation
of positionality, emotional labour, and moral tensions embedded in academic life. The findings reveal four interrelated
themes: the invisibility of care and service work; the manipulation of workload models under managerialism; the emotional
toll of academic labour; and symbolic forms of resistance enacted by academics in pursuit of dignity and justice. These
insights contribute to scholarship critiquing the erosion of collegial governance and the normalization of performativity in
higher education. By situating personal experience within institutional critique, the study demonstrates how
autoethnography transforms lived experience into an analytical lens for challenging systemic dysfunctions. It calls for
transparent, context-sensitive workload models recognizing the full spectrum of academic labour, including emotional and
relational dimensions, and advocates participatory governance prioritizing collegiality, care, and ethical accountability. This
paper contributes to methodological innovation in higher education and management research by showing how
autoethnography can humanize inquiry, restore academic voice, and inform socially just policy reform, reimagining academic
work as a human, ethically engaged, and emotionally invested practice.

Reclaiming Theory Building in Leadership Development Research: Why Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) Grounded Theory Remains Methodologically Central

Simon Taylor — 2026-07-22

Grounded theory has become one of the most widely adopted qualitative methodologies within leadership and organisational research due to its capacity to explore process, interaction, and meaning-making in complex social environments. However, despite its widespread application, concerns have emerged that some contemporary grounded theory studies increasingly generate descriptive thematic frameworks rather than integrated explanatory theory. This paper argues that the progressive de-emphasis of axial coding, the paradigm model, and the explicit identification of a central phenomenon within later grounded theory developments has unintentionally weakened grounded theory’s original theorybuilding mandate. Drawing on the methodological evolution of grounded theory from Glaser and Strauss (1967) through Strauss and Corbin (1990; 1998), Corbin and Strauss (2008; 2015), and constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006; 2014), the paper critically examines the growing convergence between grounded theory and thematic analysis within leadership
development scholarship. Anchored in Taylor’s (2013) grounded theory study of servant leadership development, the paper demonstrates how Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) paradigm model enabled the construction of an integrated explanatory theory linking causal conditions, contextual influences, action/interaction strategies, and developmental consequences across institutional settings. The paper contends that leadership development research requires analytic architectures capable of explaining how leadership identities and practices emerge, stabilise, and evolve over time. Retaining Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) grounded theory framework is therefore positioned not as methodological rigidity, but as a necessary safeguard for preserving grounded theory’s explanatory and theory-generating capacity within contemporary qualitative
leadership research.

The Use of AI Research Assistants by Knowledge Management Postgraduate Students, Supervisors and Emerging Researchers – A Case Study

Brenda Van Wyk — 2026-07-22

The growing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI (GenAI), and AI-mediated research tools raise concerns around their implications for postgraduate research and education. Postgraduate students starting their research journey may believe that AI-powered research tools enhance efficiency and fluency. This could be the case, but there is a probability that its uninformed and indiscriminate use may exacerbate second-order articulation gaps. This may be evident during transitions from Honours to advanced postgraduate research. Whereas, independent analytical and creative problem solving, conceptualisation, methodological justification, and original contribution are research skills required on postgraduate level, an over-reliance on generative AI and other AI research assistants may deter this cognitive development and result in limited epistemic understanding. When combined with heuristic information behaviour, such as satisficing, superficial processing, cognitive overload, information avoidance, and confirmation bias of AI use may result in compromised research quality, originality, and ethical engagement. Although articulation gaps are well theorised in relation to the school-to-university transition, limited research addresses their recurrence within higher education itself in South Africa, particularly between NQF 7–8 and NQF 9–10. These gaps are often misinterpreted as motivational deficits rather than systemic misalignments that privilege procedural competence over deep scholarly identity formation. This mixed-method case study investigates how postgraduate students and supervisors perceive and manage AI use. Findings aim to inform supervision practices, and student support that scaffold ethical AI integration, strengthen research literacies, and support authentic researcher identity development. The value of the study lies in adding new knowledge to an unexplored area and to propose steps to close the current gap. The study involves a case studies.

Theory Building Through Hermeneutic Documentary Inquiry in Management Research

Jose-Manuel Vega-Baez — 2026-07-22

Management research increasingly addresses complex forms of organisational value, yet conceptual frameworks often remain fragmented across economic, social, environmental, governance and strategic traditions. This paper examines how hermeneutic documentary inquiry can be used as a rigorous theory-building strategy for constructing an integrative management framework from dispersed secondary sources. The study is derived from a doctoral research project that designed the RMS Model, translated as Multidimensional Sustainable Wealth (MSW) Model, but the purpose of this paper is methodological rather than confirmatory. It asks how conceptually rich documents can be selected, interpreted, reduced and synthesised to produce a coherent conceptual architecture without claiming empirical validation. The research followed a predominantly qualitative and exploratory design grounded in a hermeneutic-interpretive stance. The method was theoretical research operationalised through documentary inquiry, purposive theoretical sampling, iterative comparison, qualitative simplification and categorisation. A limited longitudinal review of economic, social and environmental indicators contextualised the problem, while the core analytical work focused on management models, ESG-related tools and associated theoretical contributions. The process generated an integrative framework organised around five dimensions of multidimensional sustainable wealth, ten subcategories and associated emergent themes. The MSW Model is presented as a theory-building output that systematises dispersed conceptual insights into a structured framework for future research, not as evidence of organisational effectiveness. The paper contributes to research methodology in three ways. First, it positions documentary inquiry as more than a literature review technique by showing its potential for conceptual construction. Second, it clarifies how hermeneutic interpretation can guide the movement from heterogeneous documents to theoretically ordered categories. Third, it distinguishes explicitly between conceptual model design, derivative practical instruments and subsequent empirical validation. This distinction helps prevent overclaiming in conceptual research and defines an agenda for future case-based, comparative and psychometric studies. The paper is relevant to scholars interested in theory development, conceptual framework design and qualitative methodology in business and management research.

Operationalising Descriptive Phenomenology in Management Research to Derive Contextually Relevant Competency Frameworks

Esther Venter — 2026-07-22

Management may be understood as a contextual practice comprising a blend of analysis, experience, insight, and practical wisdom in an environment filled with ambiguity and uncertainty, with no single best way to take action. Much existing work on managerial competence continues to rely on generic competency frameworks; however, such frameworks offer only a partial representation of the practice of management and have limited capacity to capture its contextual and ambiguous character. Such frameworks tend to emphasise stable, clearly demarcated competencies and, in doing so, abstract management from the contexts in which it is practised. This reliance creates a methodological challenge for management research concerned with contextual relevance. Phenomenology provides a means of accessing lived experience and is therefore well suited to the study of management as contextual practice. By focusing on lived experience, phenomenological research enables the examination of management practice as it is meaningfully constituted in everyday organisational contexts. At the same time, phenomenological inquiry introduces substantial analytic and procedural demands, particularly in applied disciplines that require structured and communicable outputs. Concerns commonly cited relate to subjectivity, limited generalisability, and the perceived absence of systematic analytic procedures. As a result, phenomenological approaches remain relatively underutilised in management research. Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method offers a systematically articulated analytic approach that remains faithful to phenomenological principles while providing explicit procedural guidance, making phenomenological inquiry more tractable within applied fields such as management research (Giorgi, 1997). Drawing on this approach, the study uses descriptive phenomenology, following Giorgi’s human scientific method, to examine managers’ lived experience of the contextual practice of management. The study is located within an interpretivist paradigm and focuses on the systematic application of the phenomenological method. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted as open, dialogical engagements to obtain concrete and detailed descriptions grounded in participants’ lifeworld. The focus is on methodological design and analytic procedure rather than substantive findings. Practical decisions made during operationalisation are examined, including how accounts of lived experience were translated into discipline-relevant analytic expressions while remaining faithful to phenomenological principles. The analytic procedure involved working with participants’ descriptions as they were given, applying phenomenological reduction, identifying meaning units, and transforming these units into discipline-relevant expressions. Through this process, experiential accounts were translated into phenomenologically grounded structural statements that articulate essential aspects of the lived experience of management practice. By providing a transparent account of methodological operationalisation, this paper offers transferable methodological insight for management researchers seeking to work with descriptive phenomenology to produce contextually grounded, discipline-relevant outputs. It demonstrates how Giorgi’s human scientific method can be applied systematically within management research to move from lived managerial descriptions to phenomenologically grounded expressions without reducing experience to abstract categories.

Knowledge Sharing and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Academic Productivity and Innovative Work Behaviour among Lecturers

Norhasni Zainal Abiddin — 2026-07-22

This study examines the roles of knowledge sharing and self-efficacy in predicting academic productivity and innovative work behaviour among lecturers in higher education institutions. A quantitative survey approach was employed, and data were collected from 312 lecturers from public and private higher education institutions located in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both the measurement model and the structural relationships among variables. The findings indicate that knowledge sharing and self-efficacy have significant positive effects on innovative work behaviour and academic productivity. Knowledge sharing emerged as the strongest predictor of academic productivity, while self-efficacy played an important role in supporting innovative work behaviour among lecturers. The model demonstrates strong explanatory power, particularly for innovative work behaviour and academic productivity. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening collaborative academic practices and enhancing individual confidence to improve lecturer performance in higher education institutions.

Research Methodology 2.0: A Hybrid Theoretical-Pedagogical Model for Postgraduate Marketing Education

Simangaliso Bayabonga Zulu — 2026-07-22

The teaching of research methodology in postgraduate marketing education has long relied on traditional, linear, and largely instrumental approaches, which often emphasise procedural compliance over deep conceptual understanding and critical engagement. While such approaches may adequately convey technical skills, they frequently fail to foster the higher-order analytical, reflective, and self-directed competencies required of marketing postgraduates to navigate complex, real-world research challenges. Despite the proliferation of hybrid and technology-enhanced learning environments in higher education, scholarship on research methodology pedagogy in business and management remains largely fragmented, with limited conceptual frameworks that integrate theory-driven learning principles into hybrid teaching models. Addressing this gap, this paper proposes Research Methodology 2.0, a theoretically grounded conceptual framework for hybrid research methodology education tailored to postgraduate marketing students and related disciplines. The framework is developed through the synthesis of Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT) (Fosnot, 2013; Vygotsky, 1978) and Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) (Kolb, 2015; Kolb et al., 2014), two complementary pedagogical paradigms that together provide a robust theoretical foundation for hybrid teaching. Constructivist Learning Theory emphasises active knowledge construction, cognitive scaffolding, and the contextualisation of learning within authentic disciplinary practices, thereby enabling students to develop critical thinking and reflective capacities. Experiential Learning Theory, in turn, foregrounds learning through iterative cycles of experience, reflection, conceptualisation, and experimentation, supporting students’ ability to apply methodological knowledge to dynamic marketing research contexts. By integrating these theories, Research Methodology 2.0 moves beyond a purely procedural orientation, foregrounding the interplay between conceptual understanding, practical application, and reflective synthesis. The conceptual framework delineates three interrelated components: (1) Knowledge Construction, emphasising theory-practice alignment and learner agency; (2) Experiential Engagement, incorporating real-world, problem-based scenarios and virtual simulations; and (3) Reflective Integration, fostering metacognition and continuous self-directed learning. Relationships between these constructs highlight the recursive, iterative nature of research skill development, wherein engagement with authentic tasks informs conceptual understanding, and reflective practice reinforces experiential learning. The theoretical contribution of this paper lies in reconceptualising research methodology pedagogy for the digital and hybrid era, offering a coherent, integrative model that bridges the divide between constructivist principles and experiential praxis. Practically, the framework provides actionable guidance for curriculum design, instructional strategies, and assessment in postgraduate marketing programmes, promoting deeper engagement, critical reasoning, and transferable research competencies. The framework also offers a foundation for the systematic integration of hybrid and technology-enhanced learning tools without compromising the rigour and reflective depth of methodology education. Finally, Research Methodology 2.0 opens new avenues for scholarly inquiry and pedagogical innovation by providing a theoretically grounded basis for empirical testing, cross-disciplinary application, and further conceptual development. By articulating a structured, theory-driven approach, it enhances the quality and impact of research methodology education, while foregrounding the dynamic tension between theoretical reasoning and methodological practice, and demonstrating how ontological positioning and pedagogy shape epistemological understanding.

Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods Research in Examining Knowledge Management within Private Higher Education in South Africa

Diana Dalais — 2026-07-22

Mixed methods research (MMR) approach is commonly employed to address the limitations associated with the use of a single methodological approach. However, mixed methods research examining knowledge management within private higher education institutions in South Africa remains limited, despite the sector’s highly competitive operating environment, rapid technological advancements, and recently amended governance and quality assurance requirements. Generally, diverse methodological approaches have been adopted within the field, yet insufficient attention has been given to evaluating the methodological rigour and limitations of these approaches, particularly in relation to their ability to capture the complexity of KM and its influence on operational excellence. This paper addresses this gap through a systematic literature review (SLR). Based on literature sourced from Google Scholar, Taylor and Francis, Emerald, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Sabinet and Journal of International Business and Management up to April 2026, and applying the PRISMA framework, 13 articles were selected for analysis. The findings provide a critical synthesis of methodological trends and contribute to strengthening the rigour of future research, focusing on the use of MMR approach in the context of researching knowledge management and operational excellence within private higher education in South Africa. Key findings reveal that current literature within this scope are constrained by methodological homogeneity and limited contextual depth. The study emphasizes the importance of adopting integrated, mixed-method and longitudinal approaches, as well as expanding research within underexplored contexts such as private higher education institutions in developing countries such as South Africa.

Measuring Innovation Efficiency Using Stochastic Frontier Analysis

Hao He — 2026-07-22

Innovation is widely regarded as a key driver of firm competitiveness, technological progress, and long-term economic growth. However, measuring innovation efficiency remains a challenging issue in both academic research and practical policy analysis. Many existing studies rely mainly on innovation input or output indicators, such as R&D expenditure, patent applications, or patent grants. Although these indicators provide useful information, they do not fully reflect how efficiently firms transform innovation resources into actual innovation outcomes. In addition, several commonly used measurement approaches, including simple ratio indicators and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), often assume that all deviations from the efficiency frontier are caused entirely by inefficiency. In reality, however, part of these deviations may result from external shocks, statistical noise, or measurement errors, which can lead to biased estimates of innovation efficiency. To address this issue, this paper proposes a more structured framework for measuring firm-level innovation efficiency using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). Compared with traditional non-parametric approaches, SFA provides the advantage of separating inefficiency effects from random disturbances, thereby offering a more realistic and reliable evaluation of innovation performance. The paper presents the basic theoretical logic of the SFA framework, including model specification, parameter estimation through maximum likelihood methods, and the calculation and interpretation of innovation efficiency scores. In addition, the study discusses the practical applicability of the framework in empirical research and highlights its advantages in handling firm-level panel data. To illustrate the proposed approach, an empirical example is conducted using panel data from Chinese A-share listed firms covering the period from 2012 to 2023, including more than 40,000 firm-year observations. The findings indicate that substantial differences in innovation efficiency exist across firms and industries. The results further suggest that the SFA-based approach is better able to identify these differences and provide more stable efficiency estimates than several conventional measurement methods. Overall, although the framework still has certain limitations, it offers a practical, transparent, and relatively flexible tool for evaluating innovation efficiency, and may provide useful implications for future academic research, enterprise management, and innovation policy design.