Exploratory Research Design in Management Sciences: An X-Ray of Literature

Abstract

This study investigated exploratory research design (ERD) in management sciences. ERD is conducted when enough information is unavailable about a phenomenon. Though, ERD is employed by researchers to gain background information and is used to clarify research problems and hypotheses in order to establish research priorities. Meanwhile, in management sciences today, a research that is been qualified to be a good research design is considered as appropriate, efficient and economical, because it minimises bias in data collection (Jamia, 2016). Therefore, ERD emphasis on the main stage of research in order to achieve new insights into a phenomenon. The study exposed researchers in management sciences to exploratory research design as a means of making new discoveries due to the less rigorous methodological limits. The study thus, recommends for management sciences researchers to adopt multiple methods approach for data collection when conducing exploratory research. That is, the use of these three approaches for data collection, namely: interview, observation and survey, in order to meet the doctrine of ERD and to satisfy the researcher’s curiosity as well as desire for better understanding of a phenomenon.