There are two approaches to reasoning which are evident in case of social and business research. These approaches have been identified as inductive and deductive reasoning, explained as follows:

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is more concerned with gathering ideas which can then be used for creating theoretical framework, making it more suitable for qualitative research paradigm Another defining feature of inductive reasoning is that it allows the researcher to take a more flexible approach to investigation, making changes in the assumptions and focus of data in accordance to the new themes emerging during the research process.

Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning on the other hand, adopts a different approach to research process, emphasizing the need to develop hypotheses through the review of existing literature and theoretical constructs for analysis through objective data (Berg & Latin, 2008). The research process moves from general to specific aspects of information, making it relevant for quantitative approach to research. It further entails the necessity to define the concepts in terms of operational constructs, which facilitates in the testing of these concepts through different tools which enhance the validity of the inferences The present study has taken a deductive approach to studying M&S.