Title: Positivism and Interpretivism in
Social Research and Their Application in the Business Process
Management (BPM)
Context
Abstract: This
paper mainly investigates how social research’s claims of factuality,
objectivity, and value-neutrality fit into a positivist viewpoint,
points out some strengths and weaknesses of this school, and helps
understand how social science simulates the natural-science approach.
Throughout, the paper examines the above claims of social research on
the basis of validity and reliability that underlies any real claim to
factual research. The discussion starts with a brief examination of the
evolution of the positivism philosophy, its definition, its
assumptions, and its characteristics. It then describes positivism as a
social science philosophy, and details how the above claims apply
within its context. A
critical review is presented of some strengths and weaknesses of the
positivist
school. A framework for integrating positivism with interpretivism
approaches
is also provided. Finally, a brief discussion, with justification, is
focused on the applicability of the positivist approach to the research
field on
IT-enabled business process re-engineering (BPR), as part of the
business
process management (BPM) context.
Author: Majed
Al-Mashari