骑理 13年第12期(总第516期) 管理学动态 On Fundamental Theories and Research Methodology of the Discipline of Business administration YU Li School of Business, Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Tianjin, 300222, China) Abstract: One of most important features for the discipline is to set up a clear theme since it is the foundation for building up the theories and methodology as a whole. Especially in China, business administration singled out from traditional economics subject which is quite different from the internationally recognized classification on eco- nomics discipline such as JEL( Journal of Economic Literature Classification Codes )classification. The paper spline by way of clar ying several theoretical misunderstandings as well as specifying the comparatively effective research methodology of case study. Firstly, the paper clarifies that the theme of the discipline of business administration should be incentives and constraints. Compared to the theme of monopoly and competition on economics discipline, there is no consensus the theme of business administration discipline in China till now. The theme of incentives and constraints can help us to build up fundamental theories which are more applicable to Chinas economy, Business administration can take advantage of economics and psychology as its theoretical basis of which the combination could be better ex plains the theme of incentives and constraints, because economics emphasizes economic rationality whilst psychol ogy stresses on psychological rationality Secondly, based on this theme, the basic requirements for the discipline innovation should be problem-orien- ted such as Seeking Truth from Facts. It is well known in China that practice is the sole criterion of truth. Tt right that practice is a starting point, through the process of seeking, we finally get the truth. Furthermore, a key to influence on theoretical innovation for the discipline of business administration is that we fail to put problem-orien- ted into action. That is to say, it is difficult to find a scientific problem from so complicated issues. Thus, even we follow the rule of seeking truth from facts; no good results could be produced. And then, the principles of the dis pline innovation should be the reverse of the cart before the horse Just like Maslow s hierarchy of needs, hierarchy of Problems should be established. There are four hierarchies from low level to high level, issues, questions, prob lems and paradoxes. And also they should be complied with hierarchy of Management which I've ever mentioned previously in another paper. Thirdly, there are several theoretical misunderstandings on the education of business administration. One is the confusion of some key concepts when doing break-even analysis. The second is the ignorance on industry is market hypothesis. The third is the overlook of extermal environment on Cost-Plus Pricing. In fact, cost plus pricing is often misused under the central planning economies Finally, research methodology of case study is under discussion since it is methodology in both teaching and researching. Case study stands out due to its dual characteristics of science and arts. As for works on business ad- ministration, the higher level of management they have, the more arts they will require. MBA and EMBA students rely on more arts than those of undergraduates who depend on more science Key Words: the theme of business administration; incentives and constraints; industry is market hypothesis research methodology of case study (责任编辑:弘毅) C1994-2017chinaAcademicJournalElectronicPublishingHouse.Allrightsreservedhttp:/www.cnki.net2 0 1 3 年 第 1 2 期 ( 总第 5 1 6 期 ) 镰 ^ 糧 ? —对—窸 O n F u n d a m e n t a l T h e o r i e s a n d R e s e a r c h M e t h o d o l o g y o f t h e D i s c i p l i n e o f B u s i n e s s A d m i n i s t r a ti o n Y U L i ( S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s , T i a n j i n U n i v e r s i t y o f F i n a n c e a n d E c o n o m i c s , T i a n j i n , 3 0 0 2 2 2 , C h i n a ) A b s t r a c t : O n e o f m o s t i m p o r t a n t f e a t u r e s f o r t h e d i s c i p l i n e i s t o s e t u p a c l e a r t h e m e s i n c e i t i s t h e f o u n d a t i o n f o r b u i l d i n g u p t h e t h e o r i e s a n d m e t h o d o l o g y a s a w h o l e . E s p e c i a l l y i n C h i n a , b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s i n g l e d o u t f r o m t r a d i t i o n a l e c o n o m i c s s u b j e c t w h i c h i s q u i t e d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y r e c o g n i z e d c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o n e c o ? n o m i c s d i s c i p l i n e s u c h a s J E L ( J o u r n a l o f E c o n o m i c L i t e r a t u r e C l a s s i fi c a t i o n C o d e s ) c l a s s i f i c a t i o n . T h e p a p e r m a i n l y f o c u s e s o n t h e t h e m e o f i n c e n t i v e s a n d c o n s t r a i n t s f o r t h e b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n d i s c i p l i n e b y w a y o f c l a r i f ? y i n g s e v e r a l t h e o r e t i c a l m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s a s w e l l a s s p e c i f y i n g t h e c o m p a r a t i v e l y e f e c t i v e r e s e a r c h m e t h o d o l o g y o f c a s e s t u d y . F i r s t l y , t h e p a p e r c l a r i fi e s t h a t t h e t h e m e o f t h e d i s c i p l i n e o f b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s h o u l d b e i n c e n t i v e s a n d c o n s t r a i n t s . C o m p a r e d t o t h e t h e m e o f m o n o p o l y a n d c o m p e t i t i o n o n e c o n o m i c s d i s c i p l i n e , t h e r e i s n o c o n s e n s u s o n t h e t h e m e o f b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n d i s c i p l i n e i n C h i n a t i l l n o w . T h e t h e m e o f i n c e n t i v e s a n d c o n s t r a i n t s c a n h e l p u s t o b u i l d u p f u n d a m e n t a l t h e o r i e s w h i c h a r e m o r e a p p l i c a b l e t o C h i n a ’ s e c o n o m y . B u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n c a n t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f e c o n o m i c s a n d p s y c h o l o g y a s i t s t h e o r e t i c a l b a s i s o f w h i c h t h e c o m b i n a t i o n c o u l d b e b e t t e r e x ? p l a i n s t h e t h e m e o f i n c e n t i v e s a n d c o n s t r a i n t s , b e c a u s e e c o n o m i c s e m p h a s i z e s e c o n o m i c r a t i o n a l i t y w h i l s t p s y c h o l ? o g y s t r e s s e s o n p s y c h o l o g i c a l r a t i o n a l i t y . S e c o n d l y , b a s e d o n t h i s t h e m e , t h e b a s i c r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e d i s c i p l i n e i n n o v a t i o n s h o u l d b e p r o b l e m - o r i e n ? t e d s u c h a s S e e k i n g T r u t h fr o m F a c t s . I t i s w e l l k n o w n i n C h i n a t h a t p r a c t i c e i s t h e s o l e c r i t e r i o n o f t r u t h . T t i s r i g h t t h a t p r a c t i c e i s a s t a r t i n g p o i n t , t h r o u g h t h e p r o c e s s o f s e e k i n g , w e f i n a l l y g e t t h e t r u t h . F u r t h e r m o r e , a k e y t o i n f l u e n c e o n t h e o r e t i c a l i n n o v a t i o n f o r t h e d i s c i p l i n e o f b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n i s t h a t w e f a i l t o p u t p r o b l e m - o r i e n ? t e d i n t o a c t i o n . T h a t i s t o s a y , i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o fi n d a s c i e n t i f i c p r o b l e m f r o m s o c o m p l i c a t e d i s s u e s . T h u s , e v e n w e f o l l o w t h e r u l e o f s e e k i n g t r u t h f r o m f a c t s ; n o g o o d r e s u l t s c o u l d b e p r o d u c e d . A n d t h e n , t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f t h e d i s c i ? p l i n e i n n o v a t i o n s h o u l d b e t h e r e v e r s e o f t h e c a r t b e f o r e t h e h o r s e . J u s t l i k e M a s l o w ^ h i e r a r c h y o f n e e d s , H i e r a r c h y o f P r o b l e m s s h o u l d b e e s t a b l i s h e d . T h e r e a r e f o u r h i e r a r c h i e s f r o m l o w l e v e l t o h i g h l e v e l , i s s u e s , q u e s t i o n s , p r o b ? l e m s a n d p a r a d o x e s . A n d a l s o t h e y s h o u l d b e c o m p l i e d w i t h H i e r a r c h y o f M a n a g e m e n t w h i c h I ’ v e e v e r m e n t i o n e d p r e v i o u s l y i n a n o t h e r p a p e r . T h i r d l y , t h e r e a r e s e v e r a l t h e o r e t i c a l m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s o n t h e e d u c a t i o n o f b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n . O n e i s t h e c o n f u s i o n o f s o m e k e y c o n c e p t s w h e n d o i n g b r e a k - e v e n a n a l y s i s . T h e s e c o n d i s t h e i g n o r a n c e o n i n d u s t r y i s m a r k e t h y p o t h e s i s . T h e t h i r d i s t h e o v e r l o o k o f e x t e r n a l e n v i r o n m e n t o n C o s t - P i u s P r i c i n g . I n f a c t , c o s t p l u s p r i c i n g i s o f t e n m i s u s e d u n d e r t h e c e n t r a l p l a n n i n g e c o n o m i e s . F i n a l l y , r e s e a r c h m e t h o d o l o g y o f c a s e s t u d y i s u n d e r d i s c u s s i o n s i n c e i t i s m e t h o d o l o g y i n b o t h t e a c h i n g a n d r e s e a r c h i n g . C a s e s t u d y s t a n d s o u t d u e t o i t s d u a l c h a r a c t e ri s t i c s o f s c i e n c e a n d a r t s . A s f o r w o r k s o n b u s i n e s s a d ? m i n i s t r a t i o n , t h e h i g h e r l e v e l o f m a n a g e m e n t t h e y h a v e , t h e m o r e a r t s t h e y w i l l r e q u i r e . M B A a n d E M B A s t u d e n t s r e l y o n m o r e a r t s t h a n t h o s e o f u n d e r g r a d u a t e s w h o d e p e n d o n m o r e s c i e n c e . K e y W o r d s : t h e t h e m e o f b u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ; i n c e n t i v e s a n d c o n s t r a i n t s ; i n d u s t r y i s m a r k e t h y p o t h e s i s ; r e s e a r c h m e t h o d o l o g y o f c a s e s t u d y ( 责任编辑 : 弘 毅) 1 8 1