Evaluating alternative research paradigms: A market‐oriented framework

This paper examines the relationship between the underlying assumptions of two alternative research paradigms, positivism and social constructionism, and five key marketing principles. It is argued that social constructionism is the more market‐oriented paradigm in the sense that it advocates explicitly: (1) the full involvement rather than detachment of marketers and consumers in the research process (marketing research); (2) the analysis of markets from the consumer's rather than the marketer's viewpoint (market segmentation); (3) a model that depicts consumers as active agents rather than passive organisms (consumer behaviour theory); (4) the creative licence of consumers rather than marketers in developing alternative products (product development); and (5) an understanding of the consumer's language and what they “do with” promotional communications rather than what communications “do to” them (marketing communication).