Module 1

All research begins with an often-unspoken assumption: that something exists to be studied. Before questions of method, data, or analysis arise, a deeper question must be addressed — what kind of reality are we investigating? This module establishes ontology as the foundational layer of scientific inquiry. It examines the nature of reality itself and explores how differing ontological positions fundamentally shape research design in Business, Economics, and Information Technology.

Ontology concerns the status of existence. It asks whether the world consists of objective, structured entities independent of human perception, or whether reality is constituted through interpretation, language, and social interaction. The realist tradition, represented by thinkers such as René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza, maintains that structures, causal mechanisms, and systemic constraints exist independently of observers. In contrast, the relativist or nominalist position, exemplified by George Berkeley, challenges the independence of reality and locates existence within perception and interpretation.

This distinction is not merely theoretical. Ontological assumptions determine what counts as a legitimate research object. Is market performance a structural phenomenon governed by measurable laws, or is it partially constructed through investor expectations and narrative framing? Does organizational culture exist as an independent behavioral system, or only as a shared meaning structure reproduced through interaction? The answers to such questions are ontological before they are methodological.

Central to this module is the concept of ontological–epistemological asymmetry. 

Ontology constrains epistemology: what exists determines what can be known. However, knowledge does not symmetrically determine what exists. Reality may resist, correct, or invalidate our interpretations. This asymmetry places limits on research design and prevents philosophical inconsistency. A realist ontology can sustain multiple epistemological approaches, including empiricism and rationalism, whereas a relativist ontology cannot coherently uphold strict positivist generalization. Understanding this structural asymmetry enables researchers to avoid hidden contradictions between philosophical stance and methodological execution.

For graduate students in Business, Economics, and IT, ontological clarity is not optional. It shapes whether research seeks universal patterns or contextual meanings, whether it prioritizes measurement or interpretation, and whether its conclusions aim at prediction or understanding. This module therefore lays the groundwork for the entire course. It establishes that ontology is not abstract metaphysics detached from practice, but the silent architecture that governs every subsequent research decision.

By the end of this module, students will not only distinguish realism from relativism, but will also be able to articulate and defend their own ontological commitments. They will understand how these commitments constrain possible epistemologies, determine appropriate data types, and influence the form of scientific explanation they pursue. Ontology, in this sense, is not the beginning of research — it is its foundation.