It has been argued that those engaged in social science research in construction
management could usefully embrace multi-strategy or ‘multimethodology’research design in order to better understand the complex network of relationships
which shape industry practice. This radical perspective eschews traditional dualisms by
suggesting that no single methodology can ever provide a complete picture of the
projects and organisations that form the arenas for construction management research.
Adopting a diversity of approaches would move the construction management
research community towards a more balanced methodological outlook and would
begin to challenge the dominant positivist paradigm which seems so pervasive
within the community. This is not to suggest that there is no place for positivism in
construction management research, but that used in isolation such perspectives do not
provide the types of insights required. As Mingers (1997: 9) states