Incommensurable paradigms, cognitive bias and the politics of marketing theory

Abstract

This paper examines the treatment of paradigm incommensurability in marketing theory. It is not the first to tackle the issue, although I will argue that existing attempts to negotiate the incommensurability thesis fail on their misunderstanding of Kuhn's work. I then highlight Kuhn's own shifting position regarding the incommensurability thesis. Despite Kuhn's proposal that incommensurability can be overcome, such a strategy would be risky in an environment where cognitive bias indicates a continued subscription to logical empiricism and behavioural scientific modes of inquiry.

Final thoughts on amnesia and marketing theory

“…It is consistent with the research emphasis of many scholars in marketing who demand that scientific research conform to a set of restricted characteristics (Tadajewski, 2006a(Tadajewski, , 2008, regardless of whether the research concerned should adhere to the positivistic evaluation criteria that Woodside adopts. What I mean by this is that Woodside replicates a move by earlier interpretive researchers to adapt Lincoln and Guba's criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (e.g.…”

Modern pioneers in marketing: autobiographical sketches by leading scholars

“…As has been detailed elsewhere, the marketplace of ideas is not necessarily a bastion of objectivity, neutrality and collegiality (Tadajewski, 2008(Tadajewski, , 2016. We do not have complete freedom to pursue lines of inquiry that pique our attention.…”

“…Kotler and Levy's broadening movement partly justified Holbrook's interpretive, aesthetic and emotion-oriented research. They provided the legitimation he needed, enabling him to situate his work within the discipline, rather than it being consigned to the rejection bin through the types of gestures that have historically been invoked to delegitimate interpretive and Consumer Culture Theoretic research (Tadajewski, 2008). Furthermore, some of his avant-garde research was encouraged by the activities of the Odyssey.…”

Incommensurability and Multi-paradigm Grounding in Design Science Research: Implications for Creating Knowledge

“…Most social sciences have accepted that there is a diversity of opinions about what is knowable and how we can know something exists (Mingers 2001;Scherer 1998;Tadajewski 2008). Nor does this research privilege particular research paradigms.…”