A critique of management research methodology in China

Special event management research in China has been a growing part of management discussion in China. It is necessary to note that in contemporary China, management is still classified as a discipline under the Natural Science category, especially for research and funding purposes. Therefore, management research may be limited in its methodology, because predominantly qualitative based research may not qualify for the application of any major funding in the Natural Science category. This has serious implications on the form and direction of management research in China, as it follows an empiricist and positivist research approach. While western scholars are able to undertake qualitative and action research with a strong focus on social change, for example, into sustainability and Corporate Governance features of event management, this type of research may be difficult in China due to restrictions imposed by the methodological approach supported by government, the academia, and the industry bodies. This paper challenges the existing research orthodoxy in China, which is constraining innovative approaches and new topics for special event research. The main focus of the paper is on the Corporate Governance for Chinese business. Corporate Governance research in China has been a popular topic but so far the majority of discussion is limited to internal regulations of businesses, at the exclusion of external stakeholders, reflecting a lack of the external environment. With its research approach limited and constrained by the Natural Sciences, Chinese event researches have the tendency to focus on abstract and impractical modeling, as well as uncritically accepting assumptions within a narrow profit-driven organizational structures and focusing only on shareholder return. Since profit-maximization has increasingly been rejected as the only goal for business in the context of sustainable business and global economy, the Chinese perspective is apparently limiting to modern organizations. Because it is a key measure to achieve the harmonization development of economy, it is necessary for event research to accommodate and integrate both internal and external issues. Because it is obviously insufficient and very limiting to rely solely on technical modeling approaches, this paper suggests a transition of the philosophy for special event research in China. There is a need for event research to switch from traditionally Natural Science based methodology to Social Science research paradigm, so as to better understand many social and cultural aspects of special event management in China, including local benefit, Corporate Governance and sustainability issues.