Clotilde Coron and Sandra Charreire Petit published their paper “Arguing for exploratory quantitative research in HRM and management” in @GRH (online first).
Abstract: Most quantitative research in HRM and management is based on the confirmatory (hypothetical-deductive) approach. This predominance goes hand in hand with a form of standardization of quantitative research, concerning the format and structure of the articles, the research design, and the type of results produced. Besides, the hypothetical-deductive approach is not always adequate, notably when previous research is scarce or has produced contradictory results. Disciplines close to but other than HRM and management, such as sociology, often use quantitative methods in an exploratory way. The main goal of this essay is to show the possibility as well as the interest of an exploratory approach in quantitative research in HRM and management science. Finally, we argue for simultaneously and complementarily data and theory-driven quantitative research.