In recent years Phil has participated in the generation and management of over £420, 000 of research funding, over £330,000 of which was provided by EPSRC and ESRC. Involved in much of this research have been local public and private sector organizations as sponsors of research and as research sites for both data collection and for change-management interventions. This research has concerned a range of issues including: management control; corporate governance; contractor-client relations; evolving management roles. Recently Phil has engaged in ESRC sponsored research into "Benchmarking Good Practice in Qualitative Management Research" which is part of the ESRC Research Methodology Programme.

Currently Phil is a referee for a number of academic journals and reviews book proposals for several major academic publishers. He has also been a guest editor for the journal Management Decision and has recently been appointed as Associate Editor for a new international journal, Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management.

Phil¿s education includes: BA (Hons) Sociology (Sheffield); MSc Organization Development (CNAA); MSc Advance Educational and Social Research Methods (Open University); PhD Management and Organization (CNAA).

Introduction
The Importance of Epistemology in Management Research
Positivist Epistemology
The Search for Foundations?
Positivism
The Management Mainstream?
Conventionalist Epistemology
The Socialization of Science?
Postmodernist Epistemology
Relativism Unleashed
Critical Theory and Management
The Return to Rationalism and the Promise of Progress
Pragmatism and Critical Realism
Transcending Descartes¿ Either/Or?
Conclusions
A More Reflexive Approach towards Management Research