Methodological and Philosophical Approaches to Social Media Marketing Adoption Studies: A Review

Chanda  Chipongoma; Austin  Mwange

doi:10.59413/ajocs/v6.i.1.16

Authors

Chanda Chipongoma The University of Zambia, Institute of Distance Education, Lusaka, Zambia Author
Dr. Austin Mwange The University of Zambia, Graduate School of Business, Lusaka, Zambia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8568-3063

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59413/ajocs/v6.i.1.16

Keywords:

Social Media Marketing (SMM), Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Methodological Designs

Abstract

Social media marketing (SMM) has become a pivotal area of inquiry in business research, especially among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in developing economies. This article reviews dominant research philosophies—positivism, interpretivism, and pragmatism—and evaluates methodological designs, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches. It also explores data collection techniques commonly used in SMM research and assesses their alignment with research objectives. The paper concludes by advocating for methodological pluralism and philosophical flexibility to better capture the multifaceted realities of SMM adoption.

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