A Chinese theory of scholarly inquiry: Inspirations for making unique and interesting contributions

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this editorial is to combine the philosophies of learning from the Eastern and the Western cultures, offer some inspiration to researchers, and promote unique and interesting contributions to the literature in Chinese human research management (HRM) research.

Design/methodology/approach

To illustrate the Eastern ways of thinking, the author selects two interesting Chinese words, uses reverse‐engineering, and demonstrates how our ancestors used rich, deep, and powerful meanings to design these Chinese words (Graphic 1) and also explores the meaning of knowledge or wisdom. They also reflect the Western culture and recent management literature.

Findings

The paper shows how researchers need to follow philosophical thoughts of the East and the West; study and evaluate the rich literature carefully; think deeply in order to challenge general assumptions and ask novel, original, and meaningful research questions; provide practical new knowledge; and make a significant contribution to the literature.

Originality/value

The paper promotes unique and interesting contributions to the literature in Chinese HRM research.

Citation

Tang, T. (2012), "A Chinese theory of scholarly inquiry: Inspirations for making unique and interesting contributions", Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 4-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/20408001211220593