Reconciling the tension between contextualization and generalization in qualitative international business research

Abstract

Recently there have been suggestions for qualitative international business researchers to deal with under-researched and thus unfamiliar contexts of their fieldwork through a process of contextualization. However, in-depth contextualization of a study may be so unique that it inhibits the generalization of a study beyond its context, producing results that have little scientific value. Complementing these contextualization suggestions, our paper addresses the generalization aspect of international business research through drawing examples from a sample of qualitative studies published in International Business Review, Journal of International Business Studies, and Journal of World Business from 2019 to 2023. We discuss how scholars can seek a balance between contextualization and generalization, proposing a five-step approach that helps to develop a unified (rather than fragmented) body of knowledge from qualitative empirical research. Although our discussion is international business-based, our five-step approach is applicable to qualitative management and organizational research in general.