Introduction
This book addresses the practice of scientific research within the qualitative paradigm. It stands out by presenting a perspective beyond mere methods, emphasizing the challenging and dynamic nature of qualitative research in the field of business. It describes the journey of both national and international researchers in this mode of inquiry, focusing on the approaches, strategies, and methods used to enhance the theoretical-methodological rigor and quality standards of research in the graduate programs where they operate.
The choice of the title "Exploring Qualitative Research in Business: Approaches, Strategies, and Methods" was based on key points that guided the development of objectives, the construction of chapters, and the final structure of this work:
• Qualitative research faces specific challenges that require decision-making to ensure the rigor of methods, techniques, instruments, and data collection procedures, the complexity of the issues addressed, the nature of the problem under study, and the fluidity and need for careful interpretation of qualitative data.
• The theoretical-methodological rigor and improvement of quality standards in research require theoretical and methodological consistency to ensure the validity and reliability of results. This involves the use of consistent and appropriate theories for the research problem, careful adoption and application of methods, techniques, instruments, and data collection and analysis procedures, and critical reflection on the underlying assumptions of the choices made. In this logic, the adoption of rigorous strategies and methods significantly raises the quality standard and results in more robust research with more reliable results and deeper insights.
• The benefits for the academic community and graduate students demonstrate the adoption of differentiated and more assertive approaches in qualitative research. This not only benefits individual researchers but also contributes to the advancement of knowledge in their fields of study. Additionally, it offers graduate students the opportunity to develop higher-quality research skills that will be valuable in their academic and professional careers.
To encompass these aspects, the chapters address the step-by-step process of qualitative research resulting from the collaborative work of graduate students and their advisors, as well as researchers and reviewers when publishing articles in conferences and/or scientific journals in their fields of study. The starting point is the creation of a space for theoretical and practical reflection and critique on qualitative research, so that interested parties, when consulting the original works (theses, dissertations, and/or scientific articles), can identify the study design regarding the construction of the subject-theme-problem, the theoretical framework; the adoption of strategies, methods, techniques, instruments, and data collection and analysis procedures, as well as the presentation of results and conclusions based on the previously outlined theoretical-methodological poles.
It is hoped that this book will contribute to the demystification and appreciation of qualitative research. The in-depth description of the approaches, strategies, and methods presented by the authors may improve understanding and thus the adoption of the qualitative paradigm to address emerging issues, so that the production and dissemination of scientific research in business brings benefits to academia, science, and the profession.
Researchers, professors, and the academic community at large may also find inspiration and motivation in the shared research designs, so that when addressing emerging themes from the qualitative paradigm perspective, they employ the theoretical and methodological rigor that the construction and dissemination of scientific works require, thereby achieving higher quality standards and advancing science in the researched areas.