Chapter 3 Research methodology

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to outline the research methodology for the study. Section 3.2 will discuss how a positive stakeholder theory can be formulated against the contrasting philosophies of moral universals and moral relativism. The aim of this section is to explain how stakeholder claims such as employee health and safety and environmental protection represent moral universals (fundamental ethical norms) and how differences in their perceived importance have less to do with claims of moral relativism and more to do with economic and social advancement, which can thwart the fulfilment of stakeholder objectives. The conflicting philosophies can hinder a normative approach to stakeholder theory in an international context and highlight the importance of a positive theory of the firm that can explain and predict stakeholder development in different contexts.

Citation

Cummings, L. and Patel, C. (2009), "Chapter 3 Research methodology", Cummings, L. and Patel, C. (Ed.) Managerial Attitudes toward a Stakeholder Prominence within a Southeast Asia Context (Studies in Managerial and Financial Accounting, Vol. 19), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 53-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3512(2009)0000019007