A brief teaching note on positivism and post-positivism: for MBA and Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai)
My question 1: "Highlight 6 main ideas on each of the two topics: (1) positivism and (2) post-positivism in the context of research philosophy study in social science."
The reply: "Here are 6 main ideas for each of the research philosophies Positivism and Post-Positivism in the context of social science research philosophy study:
Positivism:
Positivism is grounded in the belief that only empirical, observable, and measurable facts gained through sensory experience constitute trustworthy knowledge.
It emphasizes objectivity, where the researcher remains detached and independent from the research subject to avoid bias.
The approach sees the world as external, real, and operating under universal laws that can be discovered through scientific methods.
Quantitative methods predominate, with hypothesis formulation and testing, statistical analysis, and structured data collection to identify cause-effect relationships.
Positivist research aims to explain, predict, and control phenomena by developing generalizable theories.
It assumes context is irrelevant to the validity of universal scientific laws and that reality can be understood fully through observation, analysis, and logic.
Post-Positivism:
Post-Positivism accepts that an objective reality exists but recognizes our understanding of it is inherently imperfect and mediated by human values, experiences, and biases.
Researchers acknowledge that absolute objectivity is unattainable; research findings are always provisional and subject to revision based on new evidence.
Post-Positivism encourages methodological pluralism, often combining qualitative and quantitative methods to capture complexity and multiple perspectives.
It rejects the naïve positivist separation between researcher and subject, emphasizing the interplay between researcher, context, and inquiry.
This philosophy embraces critical realism, recognizing the influence of social and cultural factors in shaping reality while maintaining scientific rigor.
The approach advocates falsification (testing theories by trying to disprove them) rather than verification, promoting an open-minded, critical stance in research.
My question 2: "Please clarify the topics a bit more with reference to the MBA dissertation research theme of "the relationship between the age of the senior managers and the strategy aggressiveness of the retail sector in Hong Kong in 2025"."."
The reply: "In the context of the MBA dissertation on "the relationship between the age of senior managers and the strategy aggressiveness of the retail sector in Hong Kong in 2025," positivism and post-positivism would shape the research approach distinctly:
Positivism:
The research would start with a clear hypothesis, for example, “senior managers' age negatively impacts strategy aggressiveness in Hong Kong retail.”
The study would focus on quantifiable data, such as ages of managers, measurable indicators of strategy aggressiveness (e.g., investment in innovation, market expansion rates).
The researcher would strive to maintain objectivity by using statistical tools to detect correlations or causal links between age and strategy aggressiveness across a representative sample of retail firms.
The goal would be to generate generalizable findings about this relationship that could predict or explain managerial behavior in similar contexts.
Contextual factors like company culture or market conditions might be treated as less crucial or controlled for if possible.
The study would emphasize rigorous measurement, avoiding subjective interpretations, to test clear hypotheses about the relationship.
Post-Positivism:
The research would still acknowledge an underlying relationship between age and strategy aggressiveness but would recognize the complexity and imperfection in measurement and context.
It might blend quantitative data with qualitative insights, such as interviews with managers to understand how age influences decision-making styles or risk tolerance.
The researcher would recognize potential biases (e.g., in reporting strategy aggressiveness) and the influence of cultural, organizational, or economic contexts on the relationship.
Findings would be seen as provisional, open to reinterpretation or development with future studies considering new variables or changing contexts in Hong Kong retail.
Rather than purely seeking to confirm hypotheses, the research could critically test and refine theory about how age affects strategic choices in dynamic retail markets.
The approach would balance scientific rigor with subjective understanding, valuing multiple methods to illuminate different facets of the research question.
This shows how positivism focuses on measurement, objectivity, and generalizable laws, while post-positivism embraces complexity, context, and critical reflexivity—both offering valuable perspectives for your MBA study."
My question 3: "Please clarify the topics a bit more with reference to the Housing Studies dissertation research theme of "the relationship between the amount of negative equity in property and the perceived quality of residential life of the local community of Sheung Wan of Hong Kong in 2025".."
The reply: "For the Housing Studies dissertation on "the relationship between the amount of negative equity in property and the perceived quality of residential life of the local community of Sheung Wan, Hong Kong in 2025," the perspectives of positivism and post-positivism will guide the research differently:
Positivism:
The research would formulate specific hypotheses, such as “higher negative equity in property leads to lower perceived quality of residential life in Sheung Wan.”
It would rely heavily on quantifiable data, including property values, extent of negative equity, and survey-based numerical ratings of residential life quality from community members.
The study would maintain an objective stance, using statistical analysis to explore correlations or causal relationships between negative equity and quality of life measures.
The approach aims to produce generalizable results that could apply to other urban communities facing similar housing issues.
Contextual factors like cultural sentiments or social cohesion may be minimized or controlled as variables but not deeply explored qualitatively.
The focus would be on empirical measurement and hypothesis testing to discover patterns governing the impact of negative equity on residential life.
Post-Positivism:
The research recognizes that while a real relationship between negative equity and perceived quality of life exists, understanding it requires acknowledging complexities and subjective experiences.
It would combine quantitative data with qualitative methods, such as interviews or focus groups with Sheung Wan residents, to capture nuanced perceptions and diverse experiences regarding housing stress and community wellbeing.
The researcher would acknowledge possible biases in perceptions and measurement, and the influence of broader economic, political, and social contexts in Hong Kong on both negative equity and quality of life.
Findings would be seen as tentative and revisable with deeper inquiry, not absolute truths, encouraging openness to multiple interpretations.
The approach encourages a critical stance toward data, questioning assumptions and exploring how community identity, resilience, or social support mediate the effects of negative equity.
Methodologically, it values triangulating data sources and methods to comprehensively understand the interplay between financial housing issues and lived residential experience.
Through these lenses, positivism treats the problem with empirical measurement and objectivity aiming for general laws, while post-positivism incorporates complexity, subjectivity, and contextual factors for a richer understanding—both approaches can significantly inform your Housing Studies dissertation.In the MBA dissertation on "the relationship between the age of senior managers and the strategy aggressiveness of the retail sector in Hong Kong in 2025," positivism would focus on testing measurable, objective hypotheses using quantitative data (e.g., ages and strategy aggressiveness metrics) aiming for generalizable, causal conclusions while controlling for external factors. Post-positivism would acknowledge complexity, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights (e.g., interviews), accounting for context, researcher bias, and provisional findings, emphasizing deeper understanding over absolute laws.
For the Housing Studies dissertation on "the relationship between the amount of negative equity in property and the perceived quality of residential life of the local community of Sheung Wan in 2025," positivism would emphasize empirical measurement of negative equity and quality-of-life ratings via surveys, seeking statistically valid correlations with generalizable results. Post-positivism would integrate qualitative methods like resident interviews to capture subjective experiences and contextual influences, acknowledging the fallibility of measurements and encouraging critical reflection on social and economic factors affecting perceptions.
Thus, positivism pursues objective, measurable, and generalizable explanations, while post-positivism embraces methodological pluralism, complexity, and context to enrich understanding in both social science research themes."
A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.
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