2 Foundations and Definitions of Theory Building (original) (raw)

The General Method of Theory-Building Research in Applied Disciplines

Advances in Developing Human Resources, 2002

The problem and the solution. One of the challenges of theory-building research in applied disciplines is making the logic used to build the theory explicit and accessible to the user of the developed theory. Although different methods of theory building advocate different theory-building research processes, there is an inherently generic nature to theory building. This chapter acts as a foundation for the journal by highlighting strategies commonly used in building theory and offers a generic, five-phase method of theory-building research. I passionately believe in the need for and utility of good theory. As a result, one familiar statement that dumbfounds me is, "Well, that is all very well in theory, but it does not work like that in practice or in the real world." Statements of this nature are informed by a number of deeply held, and generally erroneous, assumptions about the nature and utility of theory. Some of these false assumptions include the following: • that theory is disconnected and removed from practice, • that the process of theory construction happens in isolation of the real world, • that those who engage in theory building or development are not the same as those who engage in practice or in the real world, and • that usefulness and application are optional outcomes of theory. What is the purpose of good theory other than to describe and explain how things actually work and, in so doing, to help us improve our actions in this world? Some will contend that theory is largely idealistic (Kaplan, 1964

Theory Construction Principles in Applied Research: Can We Learn from (Others') Mistakes?

1983

Social science theorists such as Lewin, Campbell, and Wimsatt have established the basis for scientific community psychology and in particular mathematical psychology. Their tools of triangulation and robustness analysis have furthered the methodology by defining the logical effects of mathematical concepts in a theoretical system. Mathematical psychology can contribute to support systems work in bridging the current gap between qualitative-theoretical emphases and quantitative-methodological emphases. Theory construction in the tradition of action research is seriously lacking in the field and is important for reasons of research adequacy. Theory construction tasks are unique, given that mathematical psychology is defined by the use of sophisticated mathematical methods rather than a particular topic area. Mathematical modeling can make valuable contributions to the development of theory (discursive), can clarify and extend concepts (exp'irational), can describe data sets (representational) and formally can define concepts as related to data sets (theoretical-construct). These models can facilitate communication between applied researchers and target systems. (BL)

Theoretical Constructs , Concepts , and Applications

2012

This paper discusses the importance of theory to research and includes a discussion of how theory is conceptualized. Researchers have debated the definition of theory for many years, with many theorists using typologies and classifications systems to describe the types of theory, in the context of purpose, functions, boundaries, and goals.Theory that is driven by research is directly relevant to practice and beneficial to any field of study. The systematic nature of theory is to provide an explanation of a problem, to describe the distinguishing innovative features of a phenomenon, and to provide predictive utility. Research without theory has no foundation; likewise, theory depends on research to provide proof of the theories correctness.

Theory Building: A Review and Integration

Building theories is important for advancing knowledge of management. But it is also a highly challenging task. Although there is a burgeoning literature that offers many theorizing tools, we lack a coherent understanding of how these tools fit together—when to use a particular tool and which combination of tools can be used in the theorizing process. In this article, we organize a systematic review of the literature on theory building in management around the five key elements of a good story: conflict, character, setting, sequence, and plot and arc. In doing so, we hope to provide a richer understanding of how specific theorizing tools facilitate aspects of the theorizing process and offer a clearer big picture of the process of building important theories. We also offer pragmatic empirical theorizing as an approach that uses quantitative empirical findings to stimulate theorizing.

Demystifying Theory: Building Foundations for Knowledge and Research

2015

On the first day of a new class, you notice two students interacting. The young woman, Eva, twirls her hair in her finger as she talks, smiles, lightly laughs at times to what her partner says, asks questions, and maintains eye contact. Do you think her behaviors reflect her level of attraction or interest in the other student? If so, your conclusions about Eva reflect your own personal theories of human communication. For most of us, the term "theory" is a little intimidating and suggests something that is boring or of little value to us. What you might not realize is that you depend upon theories to help you make it through each day. Theories are not just abstract, vague, complex sets of weird ideas. Instead, they can be simple and practical principles, guidelines, hunches, and predictions that help you make sense and respond effectively to the world. You develop, test, and tweak a set of personal theories that help you interpret perceptions and guide your behaviors. Your creation of personal theories reflects an important principle that is also true of the theories included in this text: humans are theory creating beings.

Developing a Theory in Academic Research: A Review of Experts’ Advice

Despite the number of developed theories, it still remains a difficult task for some established and emerging scholars in various academic fields to clearly articulate new theories from research studies. This paper reviews and collates the views of scholars on what a theory is and how a good theory can be developed. It explains the concept of a theory, and the different components that make up a theory. The paper discusses the different processes of theory development by emphasizing what theory is and what theory is not. This review found that scholars differ in their definition of a theory, which leads to using terms such as model, paradigm, framework, and theory interchangeably. It found the lack of theoretical constructs in a study to be one of the factors which explains why articles are rejected for publication. This paper may be of benefit to established researchers who may be struggling with theory development, and especially younger academics who are the future of scholarship in various academic fields, particularly in information science.

The Ongoing Quest for Theory-Building Research Methods Articles

Human Resource Development Review, 2010

We cannot overemphasize the importance of the need for HRD scholars to contribute to the development of theory-building research methods in the social sciences. Without an understanding of how and why such methods support theory building and how to apply them productively, we risk stagnating as a field. In particular, we need more scholarly discourse about how to creatively apply quantitative (Wacker, 2004), qualitative (Dirkx, 2008), and mixed research (Creswell & Creswell, 2005) methods to build theory. Lynham's (2002) monograph The General Method of Theory-Building Research in Applied Disciplines and Torraco's (2005a) chapter on research methods for theory development are excellent examples of work generated by HRD scholars, but they remain among the few. Lamenting over the first seven issues of Human Resource Development Review, Holton (2003) noted that but one article addressing methods for theory building was published during that time. Holton called for more scholarship that proposes and tests new research methodologies, adapts other existing methods from other fields to HRD (e.g., sociology), and investigates the field's research methods as possible means for generating more study in this area. Little seems to have changed, however, as we continue to see scant interest in this essential type of article at the Journal. One useful venue for stimulating more thinking about developing these research methods may be one of the HRDR's features, the Instructor's Corner. The Instructor's Corner, albeit nonrefereed, may be one productive means of addressing the how-to of theory building. We would like to see articles where specific research methods are linked to theory-building efforts. For example, there is a burgeoning literature where case studies (an example of a mixed method) have been used to develop theories addressing topics ranging from group process (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007) to cognitive development (Piaget, 1950). However, with few notable exceptions (e.g., Dooley, 2002; Ellinger, Watkins, & Marsick, 2005), there is little clear direction as to how to actually go about building theory from cases. The same argument could be used to support a number of additional quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method approaches to theory building. From the quantitative realm, we would be most interested in contributions covering issues such as how exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and other types of multivariate analytic approaches could be used to build theory and why. Again, care must be taken to justify why such an approach to theory building might be warranted over other approaches. Discussion about how issues related to quantitative research, such as effect sizes and confidence intervals, statistical versus practical significance, common method variance, and nonresponse bias, could affect theory building would be informative. In the next

The judicious use of theory in social science research

The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 2021

Social science research is focussed mainly on societal concerns and human dynamics. In scholarly domains such as Public Administration, theory is commonly regarded as the backbone of studies, but the why, where and how dimensions of theory in the research process are generally ill-defined. The purpose of this article is to reflect on the use of theory as value-adding catalyst in the research process. Following a literature review based on an interpretivist paradigm, this article aims to enlighten the systematic application of theory in the research process. It is evident that theory’s application is based on its unique nature and the aims, nature and type of research. Theory can either inform or structure the research process. This function of theory has significant implications for the research design, methodology, as well as methods and data collection. Understanding the role and significance of theory can definitely enhance the scientific rigour of research and the ability of soc...