Duality vs Dualism. As mentioned above, instead of using Subjective and Objective along the horizontal axis, Duality and Duality were used instead. This was because Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx, (2004) agreed with Xxxxx, (1996) that Subjective and Objective was oversimplified and caused binaries to occur but did not support their replacement of Subjective and Objective with Local-Emergent or Elite-A-priori. Local-Emergent or Elite-A-Priori hold contrasting ends of a scale, but address where and how the research concepts arise, by considering aspects such as the language used, theoretical positioning, local vs grand narratives, practical vs theoretical knowledge. Full details can be found on page 195 of Xxxxx, (1996). Duality asks questions such as ‘when is knowledge?’, and holds that knowledge, as a flow, is continuously shaping and being shaped by situational practices. As such things can be ‘Both/And’, which prevents the creation of dichotomies. It assumes that causality is cyclical and emergent, and that knowledge can be infinite within certain parameters and is not completely knowable. Through this, knowledge is a flow that is influenced by the external subjective reality, which as discussed, there can be many different versions of, (Xxxxxx and Xxxxx, 2000; Xxxxxx and Xxx, 2015). Dualism, on the other hand, asks questions such as ‘what is knowledge?’ and holds that knowledge, as an object, is frozen in time and place. As such it can be ‘Either/Or’ but not both, which creates dichotomies. It assumes causality is unidirectional and determined and that knowledge is finite and so can be fully discovered and known. Knowledge can be discovered, picked up and transferred as deemed fit, which has predictable causality (Fopp, 2008). There are benefits of both Duality and Dualism depending on the situation. Firstly, Either/Or helps to keep things simple, as you would want for exploring the causality between two elements (i.e., contingency theory and leadership within an organisation), whereas Both/And is more encompassing and understanding of the intricacies of the organisational world, when focusing with a more pragmatic lens (Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx, 2004). Additionally, asking questions around ‘What’ and ‘When’, both have their place. Sometimes you need to start with a ‘What’ question to establish and help frame the research (I personally have started with a How question, but I am still using it to establish a point of reference) ¸ before moving on to a more ‘When’ question, with the under...
