Analytical methodology for management research (MAIA). The case of the sustainability of the organizations

Abstract

In the business management area, managers have a tendency to think in a linear way that is limited to cause and effect relationships. This mind-set limits the understanding of complex phenomena, including those that managers and business people face in their activities. This article suggests an Analytical Methodology for Management Research, called MAIA, using a triadic logic gleaned from semiotics.

The MAIA tool used herein diagnoses the meaning of complex concepts such as "business success" and is based on three logical categories within semiotics where success is understood as business sustainability over time. This article applies the MAIA to an empirical sample comprised of managers and business people.

Finally, this article concludes that the applied methodology creatively enriches the analysis of the phenomenon studied opening up many possible responses. The MAIA can be applied to the assessment of managers and business people from different organisations or people working in the same organisation at different hierarchical levels. In addition, the analysis can be performed individually or collectively.