Interdisciplinary Approaches in Business Studies: Applications and Challenges

Abstract

Monodisciplinary research confines itself to expanding the literature, knowledge, and methodologies of a single discipline. In contrast, interdisciplinary studies adopt a holistic approach to solve current problems and create new knowledge informed by different disciplinary perspectives. While there are some debates and challenges regarding the position of interdisciplinary research within academia, interdisciplinary approaches have potential for creating new integrative research domains by combining various skill sets and expertise from various fields or disciplines to tackle critical problems across several areas, including in business studies. A particular application of interdisciplinary approaches will be discussed in connection with a larger research study. This research involves theories, literature, and methodologies from these practical and rapidly-changing fields: business studies, information systems, and consumer psychology.