Skip to main content

A Framework for Undertaking Conceptual and Empirical Research

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Marketing scholars have repeatedly called for more conceptual work. Despite this, the number of conceptual contributions within the discipline of marketing is declining. This chapter argues that one strategy to change this is development of methodological frameworks that can guide and accredit the creation of conceptual scientific knowledge. This chapter offers a framework—the Conceptual and Empirical Research (CER) model—to guide conceptual and empirical research. The model consists of three embedded layers—ultimate presumptions, abductive logic and research design, which describe and interrelate the processes of conceptual as well as empirical research and show how knowledge creation is an emergent process. A range of conceptual research strategies are proposed that facilitate both the discovery and justification of conceptual insights.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alderson, Wroe. 1957. Marketing behavior and executive action. Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alvesson, M., and K. Sköldberg. 1994. Tolkning och Reflektion. Vetenskapsfilosofi och Kvalitativ Metod. Lund: Studentlitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersen, I. 2003. Den skinbarlige virkelighed. Gylling, Forlaget Samfundslitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andreewsky, E., and Bourcier, D. 2000. Abduction in language interpretation and law making. Kybernetes 29: 836–845.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbnor, I., and B. Bjerke. 2009. Methodology for creating business knowledge. London: Sage Publications.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Arndt, J. 1985. On making marketing science more scientific: Role of orientations, paradigms, metaphors, and puzzle solving. Journal of Marketing 49: 11–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barker, A., C. Nancarrow, and N. Spackman. 2001. Informed eclecticism: A research paradigm for the twenty-first century. International Journal of Market Research 43: 3–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateson, G. 1972. Steps to an ecology of mind. Chicago: The University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackmore, S. 1999. The meme machine. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonoma, T.V. 1985. Case research in marketing: Opportunities, problems, and a process. Journal of Marketing Research 199–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Booth, W.C., G.G. Colomb, and B.C. Williams. 2003. The craft of research. London: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borg, S.W. 2012. Conceptualisations of a relational oriented B2B selling process—and exploring the role of neuro-linguistic programming. Ph.D., University of Southern Denmark.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brodie, R.J., M. Saren, and J. Pels. 2011. Theorizing about the service dominant logic: The bridging role of middle range theory. Marketing Theory 11 (1): 75–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buttriss, G., and I.F. Wilkinson. 2006. Using narrative sequence methods to advance international entrepreneurship theory. Journal of International Entrepreneurship 4: 157–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, A.F. 2007. What is this thing called Science?, 3rd ed. St. Lucia: University of Queensland Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleeren, K., H.J. Van Heerde, and M.G. Dekimpe. 2013. Rising from the ashes: How brands and categories can overcome product-harm crises. Journal of Marketing 77 (2): 58–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danermark, B., M. Ekström, L. Jakobsen, and J.C. Karlsson. 2002. Explaining society critical realism in the social sciences, Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darden, L. 1991. Theory change in science. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M.S. 1971. That’s interesting!: Towards a phenomenology of sociology and a sociology of phenomenology. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, June, 309–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denzin, N.K. 1988. The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dosi, G. 1988. The nature of the innovative process. In Technical change and economic theory, ed. G. Dosi, Christopher Freeman, R. Nelson, G. Silverberg, and L.L. Soete. London: Pinter Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubois, A., and L.-E. Gadde. 2002. Systematic combining: An abductive approach to case research. Journal of Business Research 55: 553–560.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duymedjian, R., and C.C. Rüling. 2010. Towards a foundation of bricolage in organization and management theory. Organization Studies 31 (2): 133–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Easton, G. 2002. Marketing: A critical realist approach. Journal of Business Research 55: 103–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elder, L., and R. Paul. 2009. A glossary of critical thinking terms of concepts: The critical analytic vocabulary of the English language. CA, Foundation for Critical Thinking.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ely, Margot. 1991. Doing qualitative research: Circles within circles, (Vol. 3.). Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flick, U. 2009. An introduction to qualitative research. London: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, Gary L. 1983. On the measurement of interfirm power in channels of distribution. Journal of Marketing Research, 158–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freytag, P.V., and K. Philipsen. 2010. Challenges in relationship marketing. Viborg: Academica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaski, John F. 1984. The theory of power and conflict in channels of distribution. The Journal of Marketing, 9–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, W. 1999. Goodthinking: A guide to qualitative research. London: Admap.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guba, E.G., and Y.S. Lincoln. 1994. Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In Handbook of qualitative research, ed. N.K. Denzin, and Y.S. Lincoln. London: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, N.R. 1958. Patterns of discovery. Cambridge, UK: University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healy, M., and C. Perry. 2000. Comprehensive criteria to judge validity and reliability of qualitative research within the realism paradigm. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal 3: 118–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S.D. 2011. Theory status, inductive realism, and approximate truth: No miracles, no charades. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 25: 159–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, H.S. 1995. Paradigms of theory-building in business studies. In European research paradigms in business studies, ed. T. Elfring, H.S. Jensen, and A. Money. København: Handelshøjskolens Forlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman, S. 1995. At home in the universe: The search for the laws of self-organization and complexity. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerin, R.A. 1988. From the editor. Journal of Marketing 52: 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, T. 1962. The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkeby, O.F. 1990. Abduktion. In Videnskabsteori og metodelære, ed. H. Andersen. Gylling: Samfundslitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundgren, A. 1995. Technological innovation and network evolution. New York, Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lvi-Strauss, C. 1966. The savage mind. University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacInnis, D.J. 2004. Where have all the papers gone? Association for Consumer Research Newsletter (Spring): 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacInnis, D.J. 2011. A framework for conceptual contributions in marketing. Journal of Marketing 75: 136–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, C., and G. Rossman. 1989. Designing qualitative research. London, Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell, J.A. 1996. Qualitative research design—An interactive approach. London: Sage Publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mick, D.G., S. Pettigrew, C. Pechmann, and J.L. Ozanne. 2012. Origins, qualities, and envisionments of transformative consumer research. In Transformative consumer research for personal and collective well-being, 3–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, Anantharanthan, Valarie A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry. 1985. A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. The Journal of Marketing, 41–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pike, S., and S.J. Page. 2014. Destination marketing organizations and destination marketing: A narrative analysis of the literature. Tourism Management 41: 202–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Punch, K. 1998. Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ridley, M. 2011. The rational optimist: How prosperity evolves. New York: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robson, C. 2009. Real world research. Singapore: Blackwell Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rong, B., and I.F. Wilkinson. 2011. What do managers’ survey responses mean and what affects them? The case of market orientation and firm performance. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ) 19 (3): 137–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sartre, J.P. 1974. Between existentialism and Marxism (www.philpapers.org).

  • Saunders, M., P. Lewis, and A. Thornhill. 2009. Research methods for business students. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, D. 2010. Doing qualitative research. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheth, J.N. 2011. Impact of emerging markets on marketing: Rethinking existing perspectives and practices. Journal of Marketing 75 (4): 166–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava, Rajendra K., Tasadduq A. Shervani, and Liam Fahey. 1999. Marketing, business processes, and shareholder value: An organizationally embedded view of marketing activities and the discipline of marketing. The Journal of Marketing, 168–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, D.W., and G.M. Zinkhan. 2006. Enhancing marketing theory in academic research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 34: 477–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S.S., D. Fisher, and R.L. Dufresne. 2002. The aesthetics of management storytelling: A key to organizational learning. Management Learning 33: 313–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, F.E.J. 2005. Back to the future: Integrating marketing as tactics, strategy, and organizational culture. In Marketing renaissance: Opportunities and imperatives for improving marketing thought, practice, and infrastructure. Journal of Marketing 69: 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Welch, C., and I. Wilkinson. 2002. Idea logics and network theory in business marketing. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing 9: 27–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, I., and L. Young. 2002a. On cooperating: Firms, relationships and networks. Journal of Business Research 55 (2): 123–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, I., and L. Young. 2002b. The role of marketing theory in studying marketing. Proceedings: Journal of Macro Marketing Conference, University of New South Wales, Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, I., and L. Young. 2013. The past and the future of business marketing theory. Industrial Marketing Management 42 (3): 394–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yadav, M.S. 2010. The decline of conceptual articles and implications for knowledge development. Journal of Marketing 74: 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, L., and L. Freeman. 2008. A case for contrast as a catalyst for change. International Journal of Learning 15 (3): 295–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zikmund, W.B., J.C. Babin, and M. Griffin. 2012. Business research methods. Cengage Learning.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Louise Young .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Borg, S.W., Young, L. (2018). A Framework for Undertaking Conceptual and Empirical Research. In: Freytag, P., Young, L. (eds) Collaborative Research Design. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5008-4_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics