1Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Associate Professor, Postal Address: No. 962, Caoshan Road, Bengbu, Anhui, China, E-mail: mgxb1314@163.com
2Theo and Philips Consult, Title: Private Business Consultant, Postal Address: 1164, Brightoncrest Green, South East, Calgary, T2Z 1G9, Alberta, Canada
*This paper has been developed from two essays submitted to The University of Hull (UK) as part of the requirements for the authors’ Ph. D. studies
This paper is inspired by, and in part in responding to, a widely observed tendency that management research is predominantly built on quantitative research, and an accompanying general sentiment that qualitative research is oftentimes not worth taking seriously. In passionately depending its applications, we review some pertinent dialogues on quality and rigour of qualitative research which leads us to advocate a view that the final test for qualitative research is usefulness, reflected in its rigour in research processes passing the judgement of authority and validity to audience, rather than the quantitatively constructed concept of rigour in its findings.
Qualitative research, research quality, research rigour, management research
