Toward an Integrative Framework of Indigenous Research: The Geocentric Implications of Yin-Yang Balance

It has long been recognized that indigenous research should be helpful, if not essential, for an adequate understanding of local phenomena. The indigenous approach is consistent with, but extends beyond, the repeated calls for contextualizing management and organization research. However, the challenges of indigenous research are enormous. The purpose of this article is to shed light on these challenges by providing an integrative framework of indigenous research. In particular, I seek to explicate the existing conceptual confusions and flesh out the appropriate methodological procedures for indigenous research on Chinese management. To illustrate the framework, I show the value of yin-yang thinking by developing a cognitive frame, Yin-Yang Balance, to illustrate the unique and novel features of local perspective, including its application to case study method.