What is it about?
Even though Asia has 2/3rds of the global population and over half the global economic activity, Asia's share of qualitative and interpretive scholarly research is minuscule; and this shrinks further when we consider qualitative work emanating from Asian scholars and universities. This is a "mega imbalance" that needs to be addressed, especially since Asia has cultural reserves it can contribute to global knowledge. We propose some ways of addressing the mega imbalance.
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Why is it important?
Asia in general is seen as an economic powerhouse but a weak region for innovation. If Asia also decides to ignore qualitative-interpretive approaches, and decides slavishly to ape positivist-empiricist methods only (in the mistaken notion that only such methods produce useful knowledge); then this will further reinforce the view that Asia is weak in terms of innovation. Alternately, if Asia leads with qualitative-interpretive approaches, it can carve out a rich cultural innovation space.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Addressing the mega imbalance: interpretive exploration of Asia, Qualitative Market Research An International Journal, January 2013, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/13522751311289785.
You can read the full text:
Resources
A One-Person Cyclone/Typhoon... of Qualitative/Interpretive Research in Asia
While there are selected strong researchers who have employed qualitative/interpretive methods to understand markets and consumers in Asia, including Giana Eckhardt (coauthor of this QMR article), there is a one-person phenomenon that has done more to probe a region of Asia (India) using qualitative/interpretive methods than anyone else. That person is Rohit Verman. Let us hope his example with inspire dozens, hundreds, and eventually thousands more in Asia to follow such a research route.
Dholakia and Sinha: An early qualitative study of retailing in India
This is an Open Access journal... you can download the full text PDF of the article here.
Julien Cayla: Another clear voice on Qualitative-Interpretive research on Asia markets/consumers
Use this portal to explore Julien's work.
Alladi Venkatesh: His versatile "ethnoconsumerism" method should be a must-do for Asian researchers
The method is powerful, versatile and steeped in local culture... yet, Asian scholars in marketing and consumer studies insist on doing dumb (mostly vacuous) West-aping surveys and experiments. What gives?
Clueless Asian Academics, but Insightful Asian Interpretive Research firms
While Asian university researchers are totally oblivious to the cultural insights their own local contexts provide, in terms of content as well as methods, the folks in industry are not dumb - they explore in depth, as at this firm in Mumbai, India.
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