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 ‘nonpositivist’
paradigm and getting through the
peerreview 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
peerreview 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
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