Grounded Theory: A Method of Research Inquiry

Abstract

Grounded theory (GT) is a very crucial qualitative tool in research inquiry. It embraces systematic, inductive, and comparative inquiry method to construct a theory. GT is mostly appropriate to investigate organizational phenomena, which involves a change process. In this chapter, the authors focus on the emergence of GT as a research inquiry tool with the focus how GT evolves from classis grounded theory to constructivist ground theory. In the detailed method of GT, a focus is given on coding method along with theoretical sampling and theoretical saturation points. Despite being a powerful technique, GT has drawn a number of criticisms. Majority GT researchers consider the technique as an inductive method with a few exceptions, where it has been deliberated as a deductive method. However, in the line of Corley (2015), it can be argued that GT should be considered as a methodological approach to study inductive phenomena having less understanding of theoretical perspective. Chapter concludes with identifying future scope of study in the field of GT.

Citation

Sharma, S.K., Sengupta, A. and Panja, S.C. (2019), "Grounded Theory: A Method of Research Inquiry", Subudhi, R.N. and Mishra, S. (Ed.) Methodological Issues in Management Research: Advances, Challenges, and the Way Ahead, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 181-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78973-973-220191012