Purpose

This paper aims to address key challenges in conducting qualitative research within international business (IB), focusing on the role of theory, authenticity, theorizing and quality criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper acknowledges the pluralism inherent in qualitative research and its relevance to IB, identifying four key challenges: (1) positioning theory within qualitative research, (2) maintaining authenticity in research practices, (3) theorizing from qualitative research, and (4) evaluating trustworthiness. The authors offer suggestions based on their experiences to help researchers navigate these challenges.

Findings

The paper suggests that qualitative IB researchers often struggle due to the lack of standardized methodologies and the complexity introduced by pluralism. However, it emphasizes the potential of qualitative research in IB, particularly for understanding complex, evolving IB phenomena.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides suggestions on how to improve the research contributions to IB scholarship by embracing the special characteristics of qualitative research.

Practical implications

The paper offers operationalizations and examples of how qualitative IB researchers can address the outlined challenges related to the role of theory, authenticity, theorizing, and quality criteria in practice.

Social implications

The paper brings forth ways of improving qualitative IB research quality, and therefore also increasing its research impact.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the growing discourse on pluralism in IB research, offering a comprehensive overview of challenges faced by qualitative researchers. It provides practical advice for overcoming these challenges and advocates for a more inclusive, contextually grounded approach to IB theorizing.