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Does the Starting Point Matter? The Literature‐Driven and the Phenomenon‐Driven Approaches of Using Corporate Archival Data in Academic Research
Author(s) -
Cotteleer Mark J.,
Wan Xiang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of business logistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.611
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 2158-1592
pISSN - 0735-3766
DOI - 10.1111/jbl.12114
Subject(s) - phenomenon , perspective (graphical) , big data , point (geometry) , public relations , best practice , exploratory research , archival science , grounded theory , sociology , work (physics) , organization studies , marketing , data science , business , political science , epistemology , management , computer science , qualitative research , economics , social science , engineering , mechanical engineering , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , artificial intelligence , library science , operating system
Despite recent and perhaps myopic criticisms of archival data with regard to supporting causal theoretical claims, it would be folly to disregard the exploratory and grounded theory development potential that these substantial, rich, and timely archives hold. The question then becomes one of how academics might tap into such archives. This paper considers this issue from a pragmatic perspective, drawing on the experiences of various academics with extensive experience in constructing data‐access relationships with industry. With the support of scholars who published their work using corporate archival data in leading academic journals, we suggest a phenomenon‐driven approach paralleled with the traditional literature‐driven approach in academic studies. This paper highlights best practices, pitfalls, and future opportunities, with the aim of serving as a guide for intrepid scholars interested in capitalizing on contemporary big data initiatives supported at many firms.