Navigating Positionality in Economics and Management Research: Ethical and Practical Considerations

Abstract

Positionality in research refers to where the researcher stands relative to “the other” at a particular moment in time and space, and is sometimes described as the researcher being an insider or an outsider. However, it is a complex and multifaceted concept and also takes into account the type of research being conducted, the phases of research, the dynamic context of the research setting, and the social construction of the identities and personae of individuals. Researcher reflexivity is required before, during, and after the research process to deal with the ethical and practical issues associated with positionality. The concept of positionality is well-established in some disciplines but has typically been given less consideration in economics and management studies, even though ethical and practical concerns related to positionality may arise. This neglect is also evident in there being few research studies exploring how positionality is navigated in these disciplines. This research addresses this neglect by presenting an example of how a multidisciplinary economics and management research team dealt with an incident of dynamic positionality. The aim is to illustrate how a research team applied reflexivity to dynamic positionality during research on a business incubation project, where the NGO within which the research was being undertaken provided far greater access to data than initially envisaged by the research team. Using a combination of reflexive procedures and principles as the research method, an illustrative case study is produced, describing the reflexivity of the research team and how they adjusted their positionality. The study identifies ethical and practical considerations in shifting identities, roles and positionality, highlighting the importance of reflexive practice in economics and management research. It also illustrates the value of combining four levels of positioning with various positionality personae into a framework to inform the reflexive practice of a multidisciplinary research team.