MY RESEARCH PROGRAM

My research program focuses on social change agency (Emirbayer and Mische, 1998), with a particular emphasis on the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social sustainability initiatives for worker rights.

I am currently leading two primary research projects:     
1) Social Responsibility for Worker Rights    
2) Diversity Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace
Details on both projects can be found on this website. 

In my work, I critically challenge the prevailing assumption that social change in emerging markets is predominantly driven by top-down, macro-level interventions from international development agencies and multinational corporations. This view has led researchers to overlook the voices and contributions of local managers, workers, and their collectives.  As academics and responsible citizens, we must pay closer attention to these local perspectives. I underscore the importance of exploring how people in emerging markets organize for social change from the bottom up, in both positive and potentially less positive ways.

My research, grounded in a social constructivist epistemology and a postmodern orientation, revolves around the central question:  "How do local managers, workers, and their collectives organize for social change from the bottom up in emerging markets?"  Although local managers and workers often possess the necessary agency, skills, and capacities to drive social change, their voices remain underrepresented. I advocate for a paradigm shift—from traditional, top-down approaches to a more inclusive, bottom-up framework for managing social change.

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AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO RESEARCH
I am deeply committed to empirically grounded and problem-driven exploratory research. My work involves collecting primary, original qualitative data through face-to-face and ethnographic interviews, often conducted in the field. I place a strong emphasis on observations and participatory examination, as outlined by Lincoln and Guba (1985). While I recognize the significant effort and sacrifice required to gather evidence using this approach, I believe that the iterative and in-person nature of the research enhances the validity and credibility of the findings.  To achieve this, I employ a variety of research methodologies, including grounded theory, content analysis, and in-depth case study analysis (e.g., Eisenhardt, 1989; Eisenhardt, Graebner, and Sonenshein, 2016).  Throughout my academic career, I have conducted hundreds of interviews and spent extensive time in the field, researching across various countries such as Bangladesh, Thailand, Sweden, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.


 
REFERENCES
EISENHARDT, K. M. 1989. “BUILDING THEORIES FROM CASE STUDY RESEARCH.” ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT REVIEW 14(4):532–550.
EISENHARDT, K. M., M. E. GRAEBNER, AND S. SONENSHEIN. 2016. “GRAND CHALLENGES AND INDUCTIVE METHODS: RIGOR WITHOUT RIGOR MORTIS.” ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL 59(4):1113–1123.
EMIRBAYER, M., AND A. MISCHE. 1998. “WHAT IS AGENCY?” AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY 103(4):692–1023.
LINCOLN, Y. S., AND E. G. GUBA. 1985. NATURALISTIC INQUIRY. LONDON: SAGE PUBLICATIONS.