Knowledge Production through Interdisciplinary Skills

Abstract

This study contributes to existing methodological knowledge by showing how a transformed research methods curriculum, which is beyond the milieu of schooling, can engage postgraduate students in a critical dialogue on how knowledge is produced in industry and higher education. Initial insights are drawn from two interpretive studies that employed interdisciplinary methods, and guidelines are developed to encourage educators and industry experts to be reflexive about producing knowledge that is needed for managerial decision making. Further insights were also drawn from in-depth interviews with 20 postgraduate students and six research supervisors across different universities. The findings demonstrate how the adoption of interdisciplinary research skills is interconnected with moving research students from a position of being disengaged to being engaged when conducting research, and consequently producing managers that are better equipped to deal with the challenges facing industry in a globalized business environment. The authors argue that by embracing traditional and innovative interdisciplinary research skills in the research methods curricula, future managers are presented with richer information that will help to solve industry-related problems. It is further argued that this will also help to sharpen the skills needed in emerging economies to deal with challenges in the world of work.