Evolution of Qualitative Research Methods in Strategic Management

Qualitative research has played an influential role in strategic management since the inception of the field. Qualitative data are open-ended, vivid, rich, and nuanced, fostering a more sophisticated and ecologically valid understanding of organizational strategies and strategy making. Qualitative methodologies are diverse and include multicase theory building; process analysis; strategy-as-practice; narrative, discursive, and rhetorical approaches; and deductive and illustrative case studies. Despite contributing to scholarship on critical topics such as alliances, mergers and acquisitions, responses to technological change, corporate governance, managerial cognition, and strategy in entrepreneurial ventures, qualitative research faces hurdles in the publication process. Nonetheless, qualitative approaches will be essential for the future of strategy scholarship and offer opportunities to better understand the intersection of strategic management and broader societal concerns such as coping with crises and achieving greater equity and inclusion in organizations.