Abstract
The aims of this paper are to discuss the general characteristics and pluralism of research in business administration and management control, and to discuss action research as a research methodology. In an introduction an overview of the debate pertaining to research in business administration is given. After that the basic grounds of the various major streams in research are discussed. Next an overview of some major paradigms is given followed by a presentation of a paradigm combining some of the basic paradigms. This paradigm is also used in some of the research programs headed by the author. Finally action research as a research methodology is discussed. It is seen as one kind of case study.