Reasoning in Organization Science

Abstract

Prescriptions regarding organization-scientific methodology are typically founded on the researcher's ability to approach perfect rationality. In a critical examination of the use of scientific reasoning (deduction, induction, abduction) in organization research, we seek to replace this unrealistic premise with an alternative that incorporates a more reasonable view of the cognitive capacity of the researcher. To this end, we construct a typology of descriptive, prescriptive, and normative criteria for the evaluation of organization-scientific reasoning practices. This typology addresses both cognitive limits and the diversity of research approaches in organization research. We make the general case for incorporating not only the computational but also the cognitive element into the formulation and evaluation of scientific reasoning and arguments.