質量融合：基於複雜科學觀點下的探索

The Mix of Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies: A Research Exploration Based on Complexity Science

本文強調在組織與管理的學術研究中，定量方法有它的優點，定性方法也有它的強項，兩者並非完全互斥，對於特定現象的分析與解讀，可以透過二者之綜效，發揮方法三角驗證的精神，以求得到更全面與系統性的認識。對於不同現象的存在，需要不同的理論與方法解釋的典範思維下，我們指出當實體具有秩序與混沌的二重性時，是最適合採用質量融合的研究方法。據此，本文立基於複雜科學的觀點，發展出一個質量融合的研究大綱，包括：啟動研究、蒐集量化資料、選取適合的量化模型、以定性觀點詮釋複雜系統，以及結束研究等五個步驟。 Both quantitative and qualitative methods are important to the analysis of organization and management, and they are certainly not opposed to each other. Increasingly, researchers have called for more attention to the design of method triangulation that has the potential to enhance the reliability and validity of research findings. Given that ontology will determine epistemology, we argue that when the problems or realities demonstrate the characteristics of order-chaos dualism, a mixed method approach is most applicable. Accordingly, in this paper we attempt to develop a program for conducting such research. The program includes five steps: initiating, collecting quantitative data, determining a proper mathematical model, interpreting the complexity qualitatively, and ending the program.

Both quantitative and qualitative methods are important to the analysis of organization and management, and they are certainly not opposed to each other. Increasingly, researchers have called for more attention to the design of method triangulation that has the potential to enhance the reliability and validity of research findings. Given that ontology will determine epistemology, we argue that when the problems or realities demonstrate the characteristics of order-chaos dualism, a mixed method approach is most applicable. Accordingly, in this paper we attempt to develop a program for conducting such research. The program includes five steps: initiating, collecting quantitative data, determining a proper mathematical model, interpreting the complexity qualitatively, and ending the program.