Critical realism

Deniz Tunçalp

Chapter 38 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Historical Organisation Studies, 2026, pp 142-146 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Critical realism (CR) is a philosophical approach to social science that seeks to bridge the gap between positivism and interpretivism by emphasizing the existence of objective structures that influence human actions. Originating from Roy Bhaskar's work in the 1970s, CR has been widely adopted in organization studies for its ability to explain underlying mechanisms and causal relationships in organizational phenomena. This entry explores the foundational principles of CR, its impact on historical organization studies, key debates surrounding its application and notable critiques of its epistemological and methodological assumptions.

Keywords: Critical realism; Ontology; Epistemology; Social mechanisms; Causation; Organizational research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332922
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