International audienceThis paper explains why the term 'comprehensive research' appears to be more relevant than 'qualitative research'. Three great epistemological risks are outlined, as they relate to this type of approach: 1) the risk of abstract actors or beings of reason, as per David Emile Durkheim (1858-1917); 2) the risk of circularity, a concept of Karl Popper (1902-1994); 3) the risk linked to the phenomenon of equifinality, a concept introduced by Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901-1972). Our paper shows how to manage these risks, by determining the unit of analysis (abstract actors), by specifying in an independent manner, the theories in terms of social mechanisms and the material in terms of coding (to avoid circularity), expanding the exploration of plausible rival hypotheses, process tracing and counterfactual reasoning (equifinality). Finally, we explain the scientific contributions that can be expected from this kind of approach, such as highlighting mechanisms, building typologies and redefining concepts or theories

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International audienceIn a seminal paper, Ahrne and Brunsson coined the word ‘meta-organization’. More than a label, this word describes a challenging and stimulating concept that can be valuable for management studies when approached with different units of analysis and research methodologies. ‘Meta-organization’ refers to a central phenomenon in the contemporary world, namely the increasing importance of collective action at the level of organizations, ensuing from major issues related to sustainable development, human rights and corporate responsibility. The concept calls for new forms of theorizing of global collective action. The diversity and heterogeneity of meta-organizations raise methodological issues that require original approaches. In this paper, we show the novelty of the concept of metaorganization; we then address the methodological difficulties and propose a research agenda on meta-organizations for management studies.Dans un article fondateur, Ahrne et Brunsson ont inventé le terme de méta-organisation. Plus qu’un simple label, ce mot décrit un concept stimulant qui peut être utile pour les sciences de gestion quand il est étudié selon différentes unités d’analyse et méthodologies. Le concept de méta-organisation renvoie à l’importance croissante de l’action collective au niveau des organisations. Ce phénomène, central dans nos sociétés contemporaines, résulte des enjeux majeurs soulevés par le développement durable, les droits de l’homme et la responsabilité de l’entreprise. Le concept de méta-organisation invite à mieux théoriser les formes d’action collective globale. Mais la diversité et l’hétérogénéité des méta-organisations pose des problèmes méthodologiques qui nécessitent d’utiliser des approches originales. Dans cet article, nous montrons la nouveauté du concept de méta-organisation, puis nous discutons des enjeux méthodologiques et enfin proposons un programme de recherche sur les méta-organisations dans les sciences de gestion