Multi Methodology

Citation

Castle, J. (1998), "Multi Methodology", International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 311-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijsim.1998.9.3.311.2

Subtitled “The theory and practice of combining management science methodologies” this new book brings together a number of papers which deploy some of the latest ideas in the use of methodology from more than one paradigm. In recent years the UK systems movement has displayed a progressive movement towards pluralist approaches, the ideas of critical thinking. The virtues of embracing more than one paradigm were addressed by Mike Jackson (1997) who offered these conclusions:

the flexibility that can be gained by using methods, models, tools and techniques in combination now seems so essential that its gradual acceptance should be seen as a third landmark in the establishment of pluralism in management science.

The opening paper in the book by John Mingers traces the historical development of pluralist approaches. The term multimethodology extends the critical systems idea of using functionalist interpretive and radical methodology in combination to the possibility of using parts of different methodologies in new syntheses. Mingers helpfully tabulates the possible combinations providing use frameworks. Discussing the feasibility of multi‐paradigm research Mingers sees philosophical, cultural and psychological challenges ahead. The first rehearses the familiar arguments about paradigm incommensurability. The cultural challenge is seen as:

The question here is whether the existing cultural constitution of the management science community ‐ the extent to which it is split into paradigm subcultures ‐ will facilitate or act as a barrier against widespread adoption of multimethodology as a strategy.

This remark is itself interesting in that it seems to suggest that progress may be as much a political and cultural problem (radical) as a technical one. Perhaps as academics we should reflect on our ability to change?

For those new to these arguments part 3, the theory of multimethodology, offers some useful overview papers. Gerald Midgley’s (Ch. 10) overview of the work done at Hull developing critical systems ideas is a readable and interesting summary of current developments. He notes that Ulrich’s (1983) critical systems heuristics:

is currently the only (radical) method we have: there is still a crying need for further research to enhance critical systems heuristics … and to develop other approaches to making critical boundary judgments.

Mike Jackson’s (Ch. 13) contribution is very readable and is of particular interest in that it admits that total systems intervention claims to stand above the paradigms and that:

how can this claim be grounded … if it has to abandon this claim does it mean that TST or more properly the critical systems thinking on which it is based constitutes a new paradigm in its own right …

Jackson concludes with the thought that:

There seems to be an eagerness to embrace pluralism … the climate is right … a second reason lies in the failure of traditional methodologies and methods to deliver what was promised in practice.

This is a useful and timely contribution to the critical theoretical turn catching the gaze if not yet embrace of management science.