On the Evolution of Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research

Abstract

I explore how qualitative research has evolved in organizational research by examining developments in two major areas: how we do qualitative research and how we evaluate it. In particular, I track broad changes in case study, grounded theory, and ethnographic methods, as well as changes in various analytic practices or “moves” common across each as they relate to study design and data collection, coding and analysis, and writing and publishing. In reviewing where the field has been, I discuss areas where qualitative methods have been particularly strong and where there are opportunities for growth. I conclude by discussing the future of qualitative methods as they pertain to the global proliferation of qualitative research, the ongoing challenges to positivist science, and the emergence of artificial intelligence.