ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the research methodology, accounting for the adopted research paradigm and the applied research strategies. It also presents the subsequent stages of the research process. The chapter describes in detail the research procedure used in the course of designing and performing the study. The social sciences, including management sciences, comprise not only multiple paradigms, but also multiple diverse criteria for their selection and categorization. One characteristic feature of the symbolic-interpretive outlook on social reality is the belief in the intersubjective nature of its existence. The objective of formulating one’s own theoretical concept to explain the observed facts with regard to the development of cooperative ties in Cluster Organizations (COs), all the while giving priority to qualitative research, points to the advantage of the inductive approach, which posits that studies should be undertaken in accordance with the bottom-up approach, with empirical data leading to the formulation of generalizations.
