Metatheory and Metamethodology in Marketing: A Lakatosian Reconstruction

Abstract

The Lakatosian sophisticated methodological falsification framework is introduced, compared with other philosophies of science, and applied to reconstruct marketing science. From this the location and intensity of extant theoretical conflicts are pinpointed and explained, marketing's scientific status evaluated, and implications for research methodology in the discipline discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Achrol

R. S.

, Reve

, and Stern

L. W.

(1983), “The Environment of Marketing Channels Dyads: A Framework for Comparative Analysis,” Journal of Marketing, 41 (Fall), 55–67.

Alderson

, and Cox

(1948), “Towards a Theory of Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 13 (October), 137–152.

Anderson

P. F.

(1982), “Marketing, Strategic Planning and the Theory of the Firm,” Journal of Marketing, 46 (Spring), 15–26.

Anderson

P. F.

(1983), “Marketing, Scientific Progress, and Scientific Method,” Journal of Marketing, 47 (Fall), 18–31.

Arndt

(1979), “Toward a Concept of Domesticated Markets,” Journal of Marketing, 43 (Fall), 69–75.

Arndt

(1981), “The Conceptual Domain of Marketing: Evaluation of Shelby Hunt's Three Dichotomies Model,” European Journal of Marketing, 14 (Fall), 106–121.

Arndt

(1983), “The Political Economy Paradigm: Foundation for Theory Building in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 47 (Fall), 44–54.

Arndt

(1985), “On Making Marketing Science More Scientific: Role of Orientations, Paradigms, Metaphors, and Puzzle Solving,” Journal of Marketing, 49 (Summer), 11–23.

Bagozzi

R. P.

(1980), Causal Models in Marketing, New York: Wiley.

10.

Bagozzi

R. P.

(1984), “A Prospectus for Theory Construction in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 48 (Winter), 11–29.

11.

Bartels

(1951), “Can Marketing Be a Science?,” Journal of Marketing, 15 (January), 319–328.

12.

Bentler

P. M.

, and Bonnett

D. G.

(1980), “Significance Tests and Goodness of Fit in the Analysis of Covariance Structures,” Psychological Bulletin, 88 (no. 3), 588–606.

13.

Berkson

(1976), “Lakatos One and Lakatos Two: An Appreciation,” in Essays in Memory of Imre Lakatos: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 39, Cohen

R. S.

, Feyerabend

, and Wartofsky

M. W.

, eds., Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 39–54.

14.

Bettman

J. R.

(1979), An Information Processing Theory of Consumer Choice, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

15.

Bower

G. H.

(1981), “Mood and Memory,” American Psychologist, 36 (February), 129–148.

16.

Box

G. E. P.

(1976), “Science and Statistics,” Journal of the American Statistical Association, 71 (December), 791–799.

17.

Brown

H. I.

(1977), Perception, Theory, and Commitment, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

18.

Calder

B. J.

(1977), “Focus Groups and the Nature of Qualitative Marketing Research,” Journal of Marketing Research, 14 (August), 353–364.

19.

Campbell

D. T.

(1975), “‘Degrees of Freedom’ and the Case Study,” Comparative Political Studies, 8 (July), 178–192.

20.

Carman

J. M.

(1980), “Paradigms in Marketing Theory,” in Research in Marketing, Vol. 3, Sheth

J. N.

, ed., Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1–36.

21.

Carver

R. P.

(1978), “The Case Against Statistical Significance Testing,” Harvard Educational Review, 48 (August), 278–299.

22.

Chalmers

A. F.

(1976), What Is This Thing Called Science?, St. Lucia, Australia: University of Queensland Press.

23.

Cliff

(1983), “Some Cautions Concerning the Application of Causal Modeling Methods,” Multivariate Behavioral Research, 18 (January), 115–126.

24.

Converse

P. D.

(1945), “The Development of a Science of Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 10 (July), 14–23.

25.

Crask

M. R.

, and Perreault

W. D.

Jr. (1977), “Validation of Discriminant Analysis in Marketing Research,” Journal of Marketing Research, 14 (February), 60–68.

26.

Deshpande

(1983), “‘Paradigms Lost': On Theory and Method in Research in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 47 (Fall), 101–110.

27.

Dröge

, and Calantone

(1984), “Assumptions Underlying the Metatheoretical Debates regarding Methods and Scientific Theory Construction,” in 1984 AMA Winter Educators’ Conference: Scientific Method in Marketing, Anderson

P. F.

, and Ryan

M. J.

, eds., Chicago: American Marketing, 5–9.

28.

Duhem

(1953), “Physical Theory and Experiment,” in Readings in the Philosophy of Science, Feigl

, and Brodbeck

, eds., New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 235–252.

29.

Fern

E. F.

, and Brown

J. R.

(1984), “The Industrial/Consumer Marketing Dichotomy: A Case for Insufficient Justification,” Journal of Marketing, 48 (Spring), 68–77.

30.

Feyerabend

(1980), Against Method, London: Verso.

31.

Fishbein

, and Ajzen

(1975), Beliefs, Attitudes, Intentions, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

32.

Fiske

S. T.

(1982), “Schema-triggered Affect: Applications to Social Perception,” in Affect and Cognition, Clark

M. S.

, and Fiske

S. T.

, eds., Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 55–78.

33.

Fornell

(1983), “Issues in the Application of Covariance Structure Analysis: A Comment,” Journal of Consumer Research, 9 (March), 443–448.

34.

Fornell

, and Bookstein

F. L.

(1982), “Two Structural Equation Models: LISREL and PLS Applied to Consumer Exit-Voice Theory,” Journal of Marketing Research, 19 (November), 440–452.

35.

Fornell

, and Larcker

D. F.

(1981), “Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error,” Journal of Marketing Research, 18 (February), 39–50.

36.

Frazier

G. L.

(1983), “Interorganizational Exchange Behavior in Marketing Channels: A Broadened Perspective,” Journal of Marketing, 47 (Fall), 68–78.

37.

Green

P. E.

, and Srinivasan

(1978), “Conjoint Analysis in Consumer Research: Issues and Outlook,” Journal of Consumer Research, 5 (September), 103–123.

38.

Hauser

J. R.

(1984), “Pricing Theory and the Role of Marketing Science,” Journal of Business, 57 (no. 1, part 2), S65–71.

39.

Helgeson

J. G.

, Kluge

E. A.

, Mager

, and Taylor

(1984), “Trends in Consumer Behavior Literature: A Content Analysis,” Journal of Consumer Research, 10 (March), 449–454.

40.

Holbrook

M. B.

, and Hirschman

E. C.

(1982), “The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun,” Journal of Consumer Research, 9 (September), 132–140.

41.

Horsky

, and Sen

S. K.

(1980), “Interfaces between Marketing and Economics: An Overview,” Journal of Business, 53 (no. 3, part 2), S5–12.

42.

Houston

M. J.

, and Sudman

(1975), “A Methodological Assessment of the Use of Key Informants,” Social Science Research, 4 (June), 151–164.

43.

Hunt

S. D.

(1983a), Marketing Theory: The Philosophy of Marketing Science, Homewood, IL: Irwin.

44.

Hunt

S. D.

(1983b), “General Theories and the Fundamental Explananda of Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 47 (Fall), 9–17.

45.

Hunt

S. D.

(1984), “Should Marketing Adopt Relativism?,” in 1984 AMA Winter Educators’ Conference: Scientific Method in Marketing, Anderson

P. F.

, and Ryan

M. J.

, eds., Chicago: American Marketing, 30–34.

46.

Isen

A. M.

, Means

, Patrick

, and Nowicki

(1982), “Some Factors Influencing Decision-Making Strategy and Risk Taking,” in Affect and Cognition, Clark

M. S.

, and Fiske

S. T.

, eds., Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 243–261.

47.

Jacoby

(1978), “Consumer Research: A State-of-the-Art Review,” Journal of Marketing, 42 (April), 87–96.

48.

Jensen

M. C.

, and Meckling

W. H.

(1976), “Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs, and Ownership Structure,” Journal of Financial Economics, 3 (October), 305–360.

49.

Jeuland

A. P.

, and Shugan

S. M.

(1983), “Managing Channel Profits,” Marketing Science, 2 (Summer), 239–272.

50.

Jick

T. D.

(1983), “Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Triangulation in Action,” in Qualitative Methodology, Van Maanen

, ed., Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 135–147.

51.

John

, and Reve

(1982), “The Reliability and Validity of Key Informant Data from Dyadic Relationships in Marketing Channels,” Journal of Marketing Research, 19 (November), 517–524.

52.

Kassarjian

H. H.

(1978), “Presidential Address, 1977: Anthropomorphism and Parsimony,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 5, Hunt

H. K.

, ed., Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, xi–xiv.

53.

Kuhn

T. S.

(1970), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

54.

Lachman

, Lachman

J. L.

, and Butterfield

E. C.

(1979), Cognitive Psychology and Information Processing: An Introduction, Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

55.

Lakatos

(1978), “Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programs,” in The Methodology of Scientific Research Programs: Imre Lakatos Philosophical Papers, Vol. 1, Worrall

, and Currie

, eds., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 8–101.

56.

Lakatos

, and Musgrave

eds., (1970), Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

57.

Lambert

Z. V.

, and Durand

R. M.

(1975), “Some Precautions in Using Canonical Analysis,” Journal of Marketing Research, 12 (November), 468–475.

58.

LaTour

S. A.

, and Miniard

P. W.

(1983), “The Misuse of Repeated Measures Analysis in Marketing Research,” Journal of Marketing Research, 20 (February), 45–57.

59.

Laudan

(1977), Progress and Its Problems, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

60.

Laudan

(1984), “Reconstructing Methodology,” in 1984 AMA Winter Educators’ Conference: Scientific Method in Marketing, Anderson

P. F.

, and Ryan

M. J.

, eds., Chicago: American Marketing, 1–4.

61.

Lazarus

R. S.

(1984), “On the Primacy of Cognition,” American Psychologist, 39 (February), 124–129.

62.

Leone

R. P.

, and Schultz

R. L.

(1980), “A Study of Marketing Generalizations,” Journal of Marketing, 44 (Winter), 10–18.

63.

Lutz

R. J.

, and Bettman

J. R.

(1977), “Multiattribute Models in Marketing: A Bicentennial Review,” in Consumer and Industrial Buying Behavior, Woodside

A. G.

, Sheth

J. N.

, and Bennett

P. D.

, eds., New York: Elsevier-North Holland, 137–149.

64.

Mandler

J. M.

(1979), “Categorical and Schematic Organization in Memory,” in Memory Organization and Structure, Puff

C. R.

, ed., New York: Academic Press, 259–299.

65.

Masterman

(1970), “The Nature of a Paradigm,” in Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, Lakatos

, and Musgrave

, eds., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 59–89.

66.

McClintock

C. C.

, Brannon

, and Maynard-Moody

(1983), “Applying the Logic of Sample Surveys to Qualitative Case Studies: The Case Cluster Method,” in Qualitative Methodology, Van Maanen

, ed., Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 149–179.

67.

McIntyre

S. H.

, Montgomery

D. B.

, Srinivasan

, and Weitz

B. A.

(1983), “Evaluating the Statistical Significance of Models Developed by Stepwise Regression,” Journal of Marketing Research, 20 (February), 1–11.

68.

McSweeney

F. K.

, and Bierley

(1984), “Recent Developments in Classical Conditioning,” Journal of Consumer Research, 11 (September), 619–631.

69.

Meehl

P. E.

(1967), “Theory Testing in Psychology and Physics: A Methodological Paradox,” Philosophy of Science, 16 (June), 103–115.

70.

Meehl

P. E.

(1978), “Theoretical Risks and Tabular Asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the Slow Progress of Soft Psychology,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46 (August), 806–834.

71.

Merton

R. K.

(1957), Social Theory and Social Structure, New York: Free Press.

72.

Nagle

(1984), “Economic Foundations for Pricing,” Journal of Business, 57 (no. 1, part 2), S3–26.

73.

Nord

W. R.

, and Peter

J. P.

(1980), “A Behavior Modification Perspective on Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 44 (Spring), 36–47.

74.

Olshavsky

R. W.

, and Granbois

D. H.

(1979), “Consumer Decision Making—Fact or Fiction?,” Journal of Consumer Research, 6 (September), 93–100.

75.

Olson

J. C.

(1982), “Presidential Address—1981: Toward a Science of Consumer Behavior,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 9, Mitchell

, ed., Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, v–x.

76.

O'Shaughnessy

, and Ryan

M. J.

(1979), “Marketing, Science and Technology,” in Conceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing, Ferrell

O. C.

, Brown

S. W.

, and Lamb

C. W.

Jr. , eds., Chicago: American Marketing, 577–589.

77.

Peter

J. P.

(1983), “Some Philosophical and Methodological Issues in Consumer Research,” in Marketing Theory: The Philosophy of Marketing Science, S. D. Hunt, Homewood, IL: Irwin, 382–394.

78.

Peter

J. P.

, and Nord

W. R.

(1982), “A Clarification and Extension of Operant Conditioning Principles in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 46 (Summer), 102–107.

79.

Peter

J. P.

, and Olson

J. C.

(1983), “Is Science Marketing?,” Journal of Marketing, 47 (Fall), 111–125.

80.

Petty

R. E.

, and Cacioppo

J. T.

(1981), Attitudes and Persuasion: Classic and Contemporary Approaches, Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown.

81.

Pfeffer

, and Salancik

(1978), The External Control of Organizations: A Resource Dependency Perspective, New York: Harper.

82.

Phillips

L. W.

(1981), “Assessing Measurement Error in Key Informant Reports: A Methodological Note on Organizational Analysis in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing Research, 18 (November), 395–415.

83.

Polanyi

(1958), Personal Knowledge, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

84.

Popper

(1959), The Logic of Scientific Discovery, New York: Harper.

85.

Popper

(1962), Conjectures and Refutations, New York: Harper.

86.

Popper

(1970), “Normal Science and Its Dangers,” in Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, Lakatos

, and Musgrave

, eds., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 51–58.

87.

Punj

, and Stewart

D. W.

(1983), “Cluster Analysis in Marketing Research: Review and Suggestions for Application,” Journal of Marketing Research, 20 (May), 134–148.

88.

Reichardt

C. S.

, and Cook

T. D.

(1979), “Beyond Qualitative versus Quantitative Methods,” in Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Evaluation Research, Cook

T. D.

, and Reichardt

C. S.

, eds., Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 7–32.

89.

Reve

(1982), “Interorganizational Relations in Distribution Channel Dyads,” working paper, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.

90.

Roberts

W. A.

Jr. (1984), “A Kuhnian Perspective on Marketing Science and the Scientific Method,” in 1984 AMA Winter Educators’ Conference: Scientific Method in Marketing, Anderson

P. F.

, and Ryan

M. J.

, eds., Chicago: American Marketing, 14–17.

91.

Robertson

T. S.

, and Ward

(1973), “Consumer Behavior Research: Promise and Prospects,” in Consumer Behavior: Theoretical Sources, Ward

, and Robertson

T. S.

, eds., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 3–42.

92.

Ryan

M. J.

, and Bonfield

E. H.

(1975), “The Fishbein Extended Model and Consumer Behavior,” Journal of Consumer Research, 41 (September), 118–136.

93.

Sauer

W. J.

, Nighswonger

, and Zaltman

(1982), “Current Issues in Philosophy of Science: Implications for the Study of Marketing,” in Marketing Theory: Philosophy of Science Perspectives, Bush

R. F.

, and Hunt

S. D.

, eds., Chicago: American Marketing, 17–21.

94.

Savitt

(1980), “Historical Research in Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 44 (Fall), 52–58.

95.

Sawyer

A. G.

, and Peter

J. P.

(1983), “The Significance of Statistical Significance Tests in Marketing Research,” Journal of Marketing Research, 20 (May), 122–133.

96.

Serlin

R. C.

, and Lapsley

D. K.

(1985), “Rationality in Psychological Research: The Good-Enough Principle,” American Psychologist, 40 (January), 73–83.

97.

Sheth

J. N.

(1982), “Consumer Behavior: Surpluses and Shortages,” in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 9, Mitchell

, ed., Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, 13–16.

98.

Stern

L. W.

(1969), Distribution Channels: Behavioral Dimensions, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

99.

Stern

L. W.

, and Reve

(1980), “Distribution Channels as Political Economies: A Framework for Comparative Analysis,” Journal of Marketing, 44 (Summer), 52–64.

100.

Sternthal

, and Craig

C. S.

(1982), Consumer Behavior: An Information Processing Perspective, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

101.

Stewart

D. W.

(1981), “The Application and Misapplication of Factor Analysis in Marketing Research,” Journal of Marketing Research, 18 (February), 51–62.

102.

Suppe

(1977), The Structure of Scientific Theories, 2nd ed., Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

103.

Taylor

S. E.

(1980), “The Interface of Cognitive and Social Psychology,” in Cognition, Social Behavior, and the Environment, Harvey

, ed., Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 189–211.

104.

Toulmin

(1976), “History, Praxis, and the Third World: Ambiguities in Lakatos’ Theory of Methodology,” in Essays in Memory of Imre Lakatos: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 39, Cohen

R. S.

, Feyerabend

, and Wartofsky

M. W.

, eds., Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 655–675.

105.

Van Maanen

, Dabbs

J. M.

Jr. , and Faulkner

R. R.

(1982), Varieties of Qualitative Research, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

106.

Wilkie

W. L.

, and Pessemier

E. A.

(1973), “Issues in Marketing's Use of Multi-Attribute Attitude Models,” Journal of Marketing Research, 10 (November), 428–441.

107.

Williamson

O. E.

(1975), Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Antitrust Implications, New York: Free Press.

108.

Wilson

J. A.

(1980), “Adaptation to Uncertainty and Small Numbers Exchange: The New England Fresh Fish Market,” Bell Journal of Economics, 11 (Autumn), 491–504.

109.

Zajonc

R. B.

(1980), “Feeling and Thinking: Preferences Need No Inferences,” American Psychologist, 35 (February), 151–175.

110.

Zajonc

R. B.

(1984), “On the Primacy of Affect,” American Psychologist, 39 (February), 117–123.

111.

Zajonc

R. B.

, and Markus

(1982), “Affect and Cognitive Factors in Preferences,” Journal of Consumer Research, 9 (September), 123–131.

112.

Zaltman

, LeMasters

, and Heffring

(1982), Theory Construction in Marketing: Some Thoughts on Thinking, New York: Wiley.