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Toward Polycontextually Sensitive Research Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Debra L. Shapiro ,
Mary Ann Von Glinow  and
Zhixing Xiao
Debra L. Shapiro
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, USA
Mary Ann Von Glinow
Affiliation:
Florida International University, USA
Zhixing Xiao
Affiliation:
China Europe International Business School, China
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Abstract

In this paper we introduce the concept of ’polycontextuality,’ which refers to multiple and qualitatively different contexts embedded within one another. We distinguish polycontextuality from the singularly contextual types of description typically provided by social scientists, and use the case of China to elucidate polycontextual phenomena. Polycontextuality can include verbal- and non-verbal nuances whose understanding is rooted in local, cognitive, emotional and even spiritual references -most of which cannot be easily observed or historically studied. For this reason we recommend the polycontexual sensitive research method to supplement the scientific deductive research typically designed to study observable phenomena based on a singular context (e.g. verbal) that are controllable by the researcher's stimuli and/or measures. Actions for increasing scholars’ polycontextual sensitivity are suggested, and guidelines for the scholar interested in doing high quality indigenous research are offered, using the case of China for illustrative purposes.

Keywords

contextcross-cultural researchcross-cultureindigenous researchpolycontextualityresearch methods情境多元情境跨文化跨文化研究本土研究研究方法

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Type
Articles
Information
Management and Organization Review , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 2007 , pp. 129 - 152
Copyright
Copyright © International Association for Chinese Management Research 2007

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