IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jomstd/v58y2021i2p487-516.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Meanings of Theory: Clarifying Theory through Typification

Author

Listed:
  • Jörgen Sandberg
  • Mats Alvesson

Abstract

Developing and evaluating scientific knowledge and its value requires a clear – or at least not too unclear – understanding of what ‘theory’ means. We argue that common definitions of theory are too restrictive, as they do not acknowledge the existence of multiple kinds of scientific knowledge, but largely recognize only one kind as ‘theory’, namely explanatory knowledge. We elaborate a typology that broadens and clarifies the meaning of ‘theory’. Consisting of five basic theory types – explaining, comprehending, ordering, enacting and provoking theories – the typology offers a framework that enables researchers to develop and assess knowledge in more varied ways and for a broader set of purposes than is typically recognized, as well as providing a more level playing field within the academic community.

Suggested Citation

  • Jörgen Sandberg & Mats Alvesson, 2021. "Meanings of Theory: Clarifying Theory through Typification," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 487-516, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:58:y:2021:i:2:p:487-516
    DOI: 10.1111/joms.12587
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12587
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/joms.12587?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stanley Deetz, 1996. "Crossroads---Describing Differences in Approaches to Organization Science: Rethinking Burrell and Morgan and Their Legacy," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(2), pages 191-207, April.
    2. David Courpasson & Françoise Dany & Stewart Clegg, 2012. "Resisters at work : Generating productive resistance in the workplace," Post-Print hal-02312599, HAL.
    3. Kincaid, Harold (ed.), 2012. "The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195392753.
    4. Henry Mintzberg & James A. Waters, 1985. "Of strategies, deliberate and emergent," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(3), pages 257-272, July.
    5. David Courpasson, 2013. "On the Erosion of 'Passionate Scholarship'," Post-Print hal-02313064, HAL.
    6. Joep P. Cornelissen & Rodolphe Durand, 2014. "Moving Forward: Developing Theoretical Contributions in Management Studies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(6), pages 995-1022, September.
    7. Timothy Clark & Mike Wright, 2009. "So, Farewell Then . . . Reflections on Editing the Journal of Management Studies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 1-9, January.
    8. Gerardo Patriotta & Daniel A. Gruber, 2015. "Newsmaking and Sensemaking: Navigating Temporal Transitions Between Planned and Unexpected Events," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(6), pages 1574-1592, December.
    9. Martha S. Feldman, 2000. "Organizational Routines as a Source of Continuous Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(6), pages 611-629, December.
    10. Mats Alvesson & André Spicer, 2012. "A Stupidity-Based Theory of Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(7), pages 1194-1220, November.
    11. Richard L. Daft & Arie Y. Lewin, 1990. "Can Organization Studies Begin to Break Out of the Normal Science Straitjacket? An Editorial Essay," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(1), pages 1-9, February.
    12. David Courpasson & Françoise Dany & Stewart Clegg, 2012. "Resisters at Work: Generating Productive Resistance in the Workplace," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(3), pages 801-819, June.
    13. Joep P. Cornelissen & Rodolphe Durand, 2014. "Moving Forward: Developing Theoretical Contributions in Management Studies," Post-Print hal-01097568, HAL.
    14. Mats Alvesson & Hugh Willmott, 2002. "Identity Regulation as Organizational Control: Producing the Appropriate Individual," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 619-644, July.
    15. Gerardo Patriotta, 2017. "Crafting Papers for Publication: Novelty and Convention in Academic Writing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(5), pages 747-759, July.
    16. Haridimos Tsoukas, 2009. "A Dialogical Approach to the Creation of New Knowledge in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(6), pages 941-957, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Cleopatra Veloutsou, 2023. "Enlightening the brand building–audience response link," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 30(6), pages 550-566, November.
    2. Payam Hanafizadeh & Ferdos Hatami Lankarani & Shahrokh Nikou, 2022. "Perspectives on management theory’s application in the internet of things research," Information Systems and e-Business Management, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 749-787, December.
    3. Ladkin, Adele & Mooney, Shelagh & Solnet, David & Baum, Tom & Robinson, Richard & Yan, Hongmin, 2023. "A review of research into tourism work and employment: Launching the Annals of Tourism Research curated collection on tourism work and employment," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Joep Cornelissen & Mariëtte Kaandorp, 2023. "Towards Stronger Causal Claims in Management Research: Causal Triangulation Instead of Causal Identification," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 834-860, June.
    5. Jay Sheppard & Maral Mahdad, 2021. "Unpacking Hybrid Organizing in a Born Green Entrepreneurial Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-30, October.
    6. Schepis, Daniel & Purchase, Sharon & Olaru, Doina & Smith, Brett & Ellis, Nick, 2023. "How governments influence autonomous vehicle (AV) innovation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    7. Afshin Omidi & Cinzia Dal Zotto, 2022. "Socially Responsible Human Resource Management: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.
    8. Catherine Welch & Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki & Rebecca Piekkari & Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki, 2022. "Reconciling theory and context: How the case study can set a new agenda for international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(1), pages 4-26, February.
    9. Magnani, Giovanna & Zucchella, Antonella, 2021. "Portfolios of learning in entrepreneurial internationalisation," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(2).
    10. Miguel Pina E. Cunha & Remedios Hernández-Linares & Milton Sousa & Stewart Clegg & Arménio Rego, 2022. "Evolving Conceptions of Work-Family Boundaries: In Defense of The Family as Stakeholder," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 55-93, April.
    11. Marcelo de Souza Bispo, 2022. "In Defense of Theory and Original Theoretical Contributions in Administration," RAC - Revista de Administração Contemporânea (Journal of Contemporary Administration), ANPAD - Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração, vol. 26(6), pages 220158-2201.
    12. Anna-Lena Maier & Dirk Ulrich Gilbert, 2023. "Deliberating with the Autocrats? A Case Study on the Limitations and Potential of Political CSR in a Non-Democratic Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(1), pages 11-32, April.
    13. Jack Coffin & Christian Eichert & Shona Bettany & Andrew Lindridge & Gillian Oakenfull & Jacob Östberg & Lisa Peñaloza & Diego Rinallo & David Rowe & Jannsen Santana & Luca M. Visconti & Luciana Walth, 2022. "Crossing wires : Short-circuiting marketing theory," Post-Print hal-04325542, HAL.
    14. Cruz, Angela Gracia B. & Cardoso, Flavia & Rojas-Gaviria, Pilar, 2022. "Crafting food products for culturally diverse markets: A narrative synthesis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 19-34.
    15. Claudine Bonneau & Jeremy Aroles & Claire Estagnasié, 2022. "Romanticisation and monetisation of the digital nomad lifestyle: The role played by online narratives in shaping professional identity work," Post-Print hal-04450909, HAL.
    16. Alessandro Fergnani & Thomas J. Chermack, 2021. "Toward a science of futures and foresight: Response to 10 experts' commentaries," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 3(3-4), September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mats Alvesson & Jörgen Sandberg, 2020. "The Problematizing Review: A Counterpoint to Elsbach and Van Knippenberg’s Argument for Integrative Reviews," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(6), pages 1290-1304, September.
    2. Christopher Wickert & Corinne Post & Jonathan P. Doh & John E. Prescott & Andrea Prencipe, 2021. "Management Research that Makes a Difference: Broadening the Meaning of Impact," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 297-320, March.
    3. Cameron, Lindsey D. & Chan, Curtis K. & Anteby, Michel, 2022. "Heroes from above but not (always) from within? Gig workers’ reactions to the sudden public moralization of their work," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    4. Claudio Biscaro & Anna Comacchio, 2018. "Knowledge Creation Across Worldviews: How Metaphors Impact and Orient Group Creativity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 289(1), pages 58-79, February.
    5. Teerikangas, Satu & Colman, Helene Loe, 2020. "Theorizing in the qualitative study of mergers & acquisitions," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(1).
    6. Laurent Taskin & Michel Ajzen & Céline Donis, 2017. "New Ways Of Working: From Smart To Shared Power," Post-Print halshs-03511624, HAL.
    7. Michel Anteby & Curtis K. Chan, 2018. "A Self-Fulfilling Cycle of Coercive Surveillance: Workers’ Invisibility Practices and Managerial Justification," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(2), pages 247-263, April.
    8. Jean Louis Denis & Nancy Côté & Charles Fleury & Graeme Currie & Dimitrios Spyridonidis, 2021. "Global health and innovation: A panoramic view on health human resources in the COVID‐19 pandemic context," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(S1), pages 58-70, May.
    9. Stéphane Debenedetti & Isabelle Huault & Véronique Perret, 2015. "Resisting the power of organizations in Modern Times : May we all be Charlot? [Résister au pouvoir des organisations dans les Temps Modernes : Peut-on tous être Charlot ?]," Post-Print hal-01525807, HAL.
    10. Kotapati Srinivasa Reddy, 2015. "Beating the Odds! Build theory from emerging markets phenomenon and the emergence of case study research—A “Test-Tube” typology," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 1037225-103, December.
    11. Li Xiong, 2022. "Improvise to win: the relationship between entrepreneurial improvisation and start-up competitive advantage," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(2), pages 184-204, April.
    12. Cyrille Sardais & Martin Blom & Josée Lortie, 2021. "Exit, voice, loyalty, and … disobedience: When a CEO opposes his principal," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 188-207, March.
    13. Paola Perez-Aleman, 2011. "Collective Learning in Global Diffusion: Spreading Quality Standards in a Developing Country Cluster," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 173-189, February.
    14. Victoria Stephens & Lee Matthews & Joep P. Cornelissen & Hefin Rowlands, 2022. "Building Novel Supply Chain Theory Using “Metaphorical Imagination”," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 58(1), pages 124-139, January.
    15. Marie LEMAIRE, 2018. ""It's a Bible!" Unexpected use, misuse and non-use of CSR standards among "activist" workers," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2018-08, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    16. Florence Palpacuer & Amélie Seignour, 2019. "Resisting via Hybrid Spaces : The Cascade effect of a workplace Struggle against Neoliberal Hegemony," Post-Print hal-02436750, HAL.
    17. Sarpong, David & Maclean, Mairi, 2016. "Cultivating strategic foresight in practise: A relational perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 2812-2820.
    18. Donal Crilly, 2017. "Time and Space in Strategy Discourse: Implications for Intertemporal Choice," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(12), pages 2370-2389, December.
    19. Sarkar, Soumodip & Osiyevskyy, Oleksiy & Clegg, Stewart R., 2018. "Incumbent capability enhancement in response to radical innovations," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 353-365.
    20. Tiberio Daddi & Niccolò Maria Todaro & Maria Rosa De Giacomo & Marco Frey, 2018. "A Systematic Review of the Use of Organization and Management Theories in Climate Change Studies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 456-474, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:58:y:2021:i:2:p:487-516. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-2380 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.