The challenge of using a ‘non‐positivist’ paradigm and getting through the peer‐review process

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12319
• Date: 01 January 2021
• Published date: 01 January 2021
• Author: Jaime Bonache

Received: 19 June 2019

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Revised: 24 April 2020

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Accepted: 26 July 2020

DOI: 10.1111/1748-8583.12319

REVIEW

The challenge of using a ‘nonpositivist’

paradigm and getting through the

peerreview process

Jaime Bonache

Business Department, Universidad Carlos III

de Madrid (Spain), Madrid, Spain

Correspondence

Jaime Bonache, Business Department,

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain),

Madrid, Spain.

Email: Jaime.bonache@uc3m.es

Abstract

In this study, using the comments made by reviewers of an

interpretive article as evidence, I highlight some typical

methodological objections to interpretive manuscripts.

These objections are focussed on issues such as the way in

which the research question must be formulated, the degree

of a priori theorisation in a f‌ield study, the role performed by

the researchers, the goal of triangulation, the desirable

number of cases or the standards to be used to assess the

quality of the studies. I suggest that qualitative positivism is

often used as a ‘template’ from which to provide the ‘right

way’ of addressing those issues and that this positivist bias

may be hindering and even preventing the introduction of

new and alternative ways of seeing and theorising. I conclude

the work by advocating for a greater presence of interpre-

tivism within the International human resource management

f‌ield and offering some recommendations to authors to

improve the prospects of getting their work published.

KEYWORDS

peerreview process, phenomenological interpretivism, pluralism,

qualitative positivism, research paradigms

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INTRODUCTION

Recent reviews and handbooks of research in International Human Resource Management (IHRM; see, e.g., Bon-

ache & Festing, 2020; Cooke, Wood, Wang, & Veen, 2019; Stahl, Björkman & Morris, 2012; Pudelko, Reiche, &

Carr, 2015) show that scientif‌ic production in this area is developed almost exclusively within the positivist

paradigm. According to this paradigm, the way of studying the human resource (HR) issues and challenges faced by

Hum Resour Manag J. 2021;31:37–48. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hrmj © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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METHODOLOGY REVIEW

Hum Resour Manag J. 2021;31:37–48. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hrmj © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 37