Reimagining research methods: from scientific training to organisational investigation capability

Over the past decades business schools have made significant strides in aligning their programmes with employability agenda. Capstone projects, industry partnerships and experiential learning have become central features of many curricula. Yet, one element has remained relatively unchanged: the way we teach research methods. Typically oriented towards the norms of academic inquiry, these courses continue to prioritise hypothesis testing, methodological purity, and journal style outputs. While valuable in their own right, such approaches may not fully equip students with skills they need to investigate and address complex organisational problems in practice.