What are different Research Approaches in Business Research?

What are deductive, inductive, and abductive research approaches? In this short lecture, I explain how different research approaches describe the way researchers move between theory and empirical evidence when answering a research question. The video introduces three core approaches: • Deductive research – a more top-down approach that starts from existing theory and tests, verifies, or challenges theoretical expectations • Inductive research – a more bottom-up approach that starts from observations and patterns to develop new concepts or theory • Abductive research – an approach focused on finding the most plausible explanation for surprising findings, anomalies, or complex real-world phenomena The main message is that your research approach should not be chosen in isolation. It should fit your research question, the existing body of theory, and the kind of contribution you are trying to make. To help with this decision, I suggest three questions: 1. What do we already know? 2. What am I trying to contribute? 3. How will I move between theory and data? The goal is not to force every project into a rigid category, but to understand the dominant logic of your research and to make your methodological choices consistent and defensible. This video is part of the Research Methods for Business playlist and accompanies my course in the M.Sc. Entrepreneurship and Corporate Venturing program at THI Business School. It is also relevant for students planning seminar papers, bachelor’s theses, master’s theses, and other academic research projects.