An example of evaluating the academic writing style of an article: on technology adoption: for MBA students

An example of evaluating the academic writing style of an article: on technology adoption: for MBA students

 

The article examine in this note is: 

Annosi, M.C., Hughes, M., de Gennaro, D., Oppedisano, R. and Buonocore, F., 2025. Bridging generations: Managing cognitive conflicts during technology adoption in multigenerational family firms. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 16, 100695.

 

What are the: (1) research philosophy, (2) research objectives, and (3) research questions of the article? And does the article mentions the researcher positionality of the article?

Research philosophy (1)

·        The study follows an interpretive, qualitative philosophy: the authors state they "adopted an inductive, multiple-case study design" and an "interpretive research design" to explore complex, context‑dependent phenomena, indicating constructivist/interpretivist orientation.

·        They use Gioia methodology (qualitative, theory‑building), purposefully sample cases, and emphasize preserving informant voices and contextual meaning—features consistent with an interpretivist approach.

Research objectives (2)

·        Primary objective: to examine dynamics of cognitive conflicts during technology adoption in family firms (sources, amplification mechanisms, resolution strategies, and reconciliation processes) using multiple case studies of seven agricultural family firms.

·        Secondary objectives: to identify concrete conflict‑resolution strategies (e.g., translational roles, internal alliances, decision postponement), to develop a process‑oriented grounded model explaining emergence→escalation→resolution→reconciliation, and to provide managerial implications for multigenerational FFs adopting technology.

Research question(s) (3)

·        The paper explicitly asks: "How do multigenerational FFs navigate and manage cognitive conflicts associated with technology adoption decisions?" which is presented as the central research question guiding the study.

Researcher positionality

·        The article does not present an explicit reflexive "researcher positionality" statement (e.g., authors’ personal positionalities, insider/outsider stance or sustained reflexive account) under a dedicated heading; this absence means there is no formal positionality section reported.

·        The authors do describe procedural safeguards addressing researcher influence — triangulation (interviews + archival sources), multiple rounds of data collection, two independent coders, an independent third‑author review of coding, Cohen’s kappa assessment (0.87), and transcription within 24 hours — which they use to enhance credibility and partly account for subjectivity

 

Could you indicate 5 main features of the academic writing style of this article?

Direct answer: Five main features of this article’s academic writing style are (1) interpretive/qualitative orientation and method-foregrounding, (2) evidence-based literature grounding and dense citation, (3) formal, cautious/hedged tone, (4) structured, signposted organization with methodological transparency, and (5) analytic, theory-building presentation using the Gioia method and conceptual modelling.

Short elaboration (one sentence each)

·        Interpretive/qualitative orientation and method-foregrounding: The text repeatedly frames the study as an inductive, multiple-case, interpretive inquiry and foregrounds qualitative procedures (purposeful sampling, multi-round interviews), which shapes the explanatory, context-sensitive prose and emphasis on participants’ meanings.

·        Evidence-based literature grounding and dense citation: The introduction and literature review tightly integrate prior studies and theoretical debates (numerous in-text citations) to justify the research gap and situate findings within existing family‑business and innovation literature.

·        Formal, cautious (hedged) academic tone: Claims are worded with hedging and qualified language (e.g., “may,” “suggest,” “we argue”), avoiding absolute assertions and preserving academic modesty while advancing contributions.

·        Structured, signposted organization and methodological transparency: Clear sectioning (Introduction, Literature, Method, Findings) plus explicit descriptions of sampling, data collection, coding, and validity checks (triangulation, Cohen’s kappa) make the argument traceable and replicable in qualitative terms.

·        Analytic, theory-building presentation: Findings are abstracted into aggregate dimensions and a processual model (Gioia methodology), with constant‑comparison coding and illustrative interview excerpts that move from empirical detail to conceptual generalization.

Is the overall academic writing style in this case appropriate with regard to the research philosophy and research objectives of the article?

Yes — overall, the writing style is appropriate for the article’s interpretivist qualitative philosophy and its objectives. It is formal, analytical, and theory-building, which fits a study that aims to explain processes, meanings, and conflict dynamics rather than test fixed hypotheses.

Why it fits

The article’s philosophy is qualitative and interpretive: it uses an inductive multiple-case study design, purposeful sampling, semi-structured interviews, and Gioia-style analysis. That kind of research usually needs a writing style that is descriptive where methods are explained, analytical where patterns are identified, and persuasive where the authors justify the contribution.

The article’s objectives are to understand how cognitive conflicts emerge, intensify, and are resolved during technology adoption in multigenerational family firms. Its writing style matches this well because it carefully traces processes, highlights contextual detail, and links empirical observations to an emergent conceptual model.

Strengths

The style is strong in three ways. First, it is highly structured, with clear sectioning and signposting, which suits qualitative research that needs to guide readers through complex case material.

Second, it is cautious and evidence-led. The authors avoid overstatement and consistently anchor claims in prior literature and interview-based findings, which is appropriate for an exploratory study.

Third, it is conceptually rich but still readable for an academic audience. The language is technical enough for family business scholarship, yet it remains oriented toward explanation rather than abstraction for its own sake.

Minor limitations

There is one possible mismatch: at times the prose becomes very dense and heavily referenced, which can make the argument feel crowded. That is not inappropriate for a journal article, but it may reduce readability for non-specialist readers.

Also, because the paper is interpretive, a slightly more explicit reflexive discussion of the researchers’ positioning would have strengthened alignment between style and philosophy. The absence of a dedicated positionality section does not make the article unsuitable, but it does leave an expected qualitative element underdeveloped.

In short, the style is appropriate and well matched to the study design, though it could have been even stronger with a clearer reflexive positionality statement.

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