Here - Paul Barrett

The implications of the above forOrganizational Research Quantitative and Non-Quantitative ScienceA definition of ScienceThe systematic study of the nature andbehaviour of the material and physicaluniverse, based upon observation, experiment,and measurement, and the formulation of lawsto describe these facts in general terms (CollinsEnglish Dictionary, 3rd Edition). The implications of the above forOrganizational Research Mathematical Statistics & Applied Numerics The Qualitative-Quantitative “Divide” Business and HR-metricsMGMT 740 – 869th March 2006 MGMT 740 – 870th March 2006 The implications of the above forOrganizational Research The implications of the above forOrganizational Research1. Do not equate “being scientific” with “usesnumbers”. There is a gulf in meaning andaxioms between using numbers withinquantitative measurement and numbers as inthe social sciences.2. The use of numbers as counts, frequencies,and ranks can yield an impressive descriptionof phenomena, without necessarily having toinvoke the axioms of “additive relations”between otherwise qualitative magnitudes.3. It is perfectly acceptable to use whatevermathematics or statistical methodology onemight care to choose – with the caveat thatthe ultimate validity (and knowledge claims)of the results will depend upon the validity ofthe assumptions invoked (e.g. additivity ofthe metric imposed by the methodology).MGMT 740 – 871th March 2006 MGMT 740 – 872th March 2006