Purpose

While quantification and performance measurement have proliferated widely in academia and the business world, management and organization scholars increasingly agree on the need for a more in-depth focus on the complex dynamics embedded in the construction, use and effects of quantitative measures (pertaining to the thread of research called ethnostatistics). This paper develops a pluralistic method for conducting ethnostatistical research in organizational settings. Whilst presenting practical techniques for conducting research in live settings, it also discusses how historical approaches which focus on source criticism and contextual reconstruction could overcome the limitations of ethnostatistics.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological approach of this paper encompasses an in-depth discussion of the ethnostatistical method, its underlying assumptions and its methodological limitations. Based on this analysis, the authors propose a pluralistic method (model) for conducting ethnostatistical research in organizational settings based on the integration of 1) research practices employed by one of the authors conducting ethnostatistical research in a large multinational organization and 2) best practices from ethnographic and historical research.

Findings

This paper suggests how historical approaches can successfully join ethnostatistical enquiries in an attempt to overcome some limitations in existing conventional methods. The developed framework explores four levels of analysis (ethnography, statistics at work, rhetoric of statistics and history of statistics) and suggests practical approaches for each level that can contribute to strengthening the research output and overcoming limitations when using ethnostatistics.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the ethnostatistical field by discussing the intersection between history and ethnography and the ways for their complementary use in organizational and management research on quantification processes. As such it offers unique insights and hands-on experience from conducting ethnostatistical enquiries in live organizational settings.

中文翻译：

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组织研究中的民族统计学研究方法论：走向历史民族统计学

目的

尽管量化和绩效衡量在学术界和商业世界中已广泛扩散，但管理和组织学者越来越同意有必要更深入地关注量化措施的构建，使用和效果中所嵌入的复杂动态。研究线程称为ethnostatistics）。本文提出了一种在组织机构中进行民族统计研究的多元化方法。在介绍用于在现场环境中进行研究的实用技术的同时，还讨论了关注源批评和上下文重建的历史方法如何克服种族统计学的局限性。

设计/方法/方法

本文的方法论方法包括对民族统计方法，其基本假设和方法学局限性的深入讨论。基于此分析，作者提出了一种在组织环境中进行种族统计研究的多元方法（模型），该方法基于以下方面的整合：1）一位在大型跨国组织中进行种族统计研究的作者所采用的研究实践，以及2）最佳实践人种学和历史研究。

发现

本文提出了历史方法如何能够成功地加入种族统计研究，以试图克服现有常规方法中的某些局限性。所开发的框架探索了四个层次的分析（人种学，工作中的统计学，统计学的修辞学和统计学的历史），并提出了每个层次的实用方法，这些方法可以有助于加强研究成果并克服使用民族统计学的局限性。

创意/价值

本文通过讨论历史与人种志之间的交集及其在量化过程的组织和管理研究中的互补使用方式，为民族统计学领域做出了贡献。这样，它就可以在实时组织环境中进行种族统计查询，从而提供独特的见解和动手经验。