From Theory to Practice: Anthropology in Business Education

Robert Guang Tian

Business education has traditionally been seen as more “scientific” and statistically oriented, while the anthropological approach employs more subjective and qualitative methods. These methods can be invaluable for business researchers in a number of contexts in terms of corporate culture, consumer behavior, and product design. In recent years, anthropological (or anthropologically inspired) research procedures have become increasingly prominent within business and have thus engendered some influences on business education. In this paper, the nature and application of these anthropological tools are discussed as well as suggestions regarding how to introduce such ideas into business education practice.

High Plains Applied Anthropologist No. 1, Vol. 25, Spring, 2005 pp 13 – 22

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