Barriers to Using Qualitative Methods in Business and Management Research in Ukraine

The Bologna process and modernisation reforms of the higher education system on the post-Soviet territories have evoked many controversies in the academic communities across the newly independent states. Influenced by the USSR legacy, traditions of scientific achievements and former transformational inventions the present day academics become resistant to changes when it comes to implementation of the contemporary Western European standards. This is of a high relevance for the Ukrainian higher education system as the government call for international harmonisation and synchronisation of the educational practices has been made. Universities across the country have been charged with the task of incorporating certain Humboldtian traditions in the process of teaching, curricula design and research activities. Thus, assurance of student learning, research-driven teaching and knowledge creation are of a paramount importance in the modern educational establishments and becoming prerequisites for sustainable socio-economic development. However, strong prevalence of the incumbent approaches inherited from the past tends to inhibit achievement of the ambitious goals of aligning the Ukrainian principles of higher education with the best international norms. Adamant academic perceptions regarding the process of conducting research and generation of scientific knowledge obstruct the scientific advancement and integration endeavours initiated by the national government. This paper deals with the distinctive features of the present academic culture and research traditions within the Ukrainian higher education system. Our study investigates the issues and challenges associated with conducting qualitative research in buiness and management area. Through the application of qualitative approach using 27 semi-structured interviews with Ukrainian academics, findings from the participant observation and the content analysis of the 6740 refereed journal articles published in 2009-2011, we attempt to reveal the reasons underpinning the main obstacles of conducting qualitative research in the Ukrainian context. Our findings offer a significant contribution to further understanding of the difficulties involved in implementation of the universal academic standards and highlight discrepancies between the West European and the former Soviet higher education system.