Professor Urges Shift to Interpretivist Research to Deepen Marketing, Business Impact

A Professor of Strategic Marketing, Professor Andy Wali has called for a fundamental rethink in the way marketing and business research is conducted in Nigeria, urging scholars and industry players to embrace interpretivist methodologies that better capture human experiences and market complexities.

Prof Wali made this call on Thursday, August 14, 2025 while delivering the 116th inaugural lecture of Rivers State University (RSU) titled “Rethinking Impact in Marketing and Business Research Through the Interpretivist Lens”, at the RSU main campus in Port Harcourt, RIvers State.

He argued that the dominant quantitative and objectivist approaches currently used in most business schools have limited capacity to addressing pressing real-world challenges.

According to him, only about 43 percent of industry problems are currently solved using the prevalent research methodology, a gap that can be significantly reduced if scholars adopt approaches that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of consumers.

“Marketing works with human experience, and no two human experiences are the same, If customers’ latent demands are met, they are satisfied, businesses make profit, taxes are paid, and the economy grows  but this requires research methods that truly mirror market realities.”

He emphasised that interpretivist research focuses on understanding social realities as they are experienced by individuals, making it possible to design solutions that resonate more deeply with target audiences.

 The professor recommended the establishment of a Centre for Behavioural Science and Industry Studies at RSU to lead a “new research order” in business and allied disciplines.

The proposed centre, he said, would foster interdisciplinary collaborations, attract industry-relevant research grants, and provide hands-on training for researchers.

Prof. Wali also called for the creation of a comprehensive data repository to store all postgraduate and academic research produced within the university.

 This, he explained, would help curb unethical recycling of thesis, encourage originality, and make research findings more accessible to industry and policymakers.

In his remarks, Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Isaac Zep-Obipi, commended the lecture and described it as an exemplary contribution to the university’s academic tradition.

He noted that Prof. Wali’s advocacy for combining qualitative and quantitative methods a process he referred to as “triangulation” offers a balanced approach that strengthens research outcomes.

“You have done justice to the topic,” the VC said, adding that the lecture reaffirmed RSU’s commitment to producing scholarship with real-world impact.

The event was attended by academics, students, and industry stakeholders, and underscored the role of innovative research methodologies in solving societal and business-related problems.