IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jomstd/v61y2024i5p1737-1765.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Art of Phenomena Construction: A Framework for Coming Up with Research Phenomena beyond ‘the Usual Suspects’

Author

Listed:
  • Mats Alvesson
  • Jörgen Sandberg

Abstract

Despite the centrality of research phenomena, the process of their definition is often neglected and reduced to a simple choosing of pre‐established subjects of interest. However, good research not only includes empirical work aimed at more or less ‘given as fact’ phenomena. It also involves phenomena construction: that is, the process of generating and establishing phenomena to investigate and theorize. We contend that phenomena construction is not separate from, but integral to, both the empirical and theorizing phases in research. As few phenomena are truly ‘given’ or straightforward to observe, good research calls for careful and creative construction of the phenomenon under investigation. We propose and elaborate a framework that enables researchers to generate and establish research phenomena beyond those currently available in their specific area of interest and, based on this, to produce more imaginative and impactful research.

Suggested Citation

  • Mats Alvesson & Jörgen Sandberg, 2024. "The Art of Phenomena Construction: A Framework for Coming Up with Research Phenomena beyond ‘the Usual Suspects’," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(5), pages 1737-1765, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:61:y:2024:i:5:p:1737-1765
    DOI: 10.1111/joms.12969
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12969
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/joms.12969?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. Mats Alvesson & Anna Jonsson, 2022. "Organizational Dischronization: On Meaning and Meaninglessness, Sensemaking and Nonsensemaking," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 724-754, May.
    2. 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.
    3. Taylor, Frederick Winslow, 1911. "The Principles of Scientific Management," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number taylor1911.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. 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.
    2. Alina Mirela Teacu (Parincu), 2019. "Neuromanagement – the Impact of Neuroscience on the Organizational Performance," Risk in Contemporary Economy, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, pages 487-493.
    3. Ilzetzki, Ethan & Simonelli, Saverio, 2017. "Measuring Productivity Dispersion: Lessons From Counting One-Hundred Million Ballots," CEPR Discussion Papers 12273, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Giada Baldessarelli & Nathalie Lazaric & Michele Pezzoni, 2022. "Organizational routines: Evolution in the research landscape of two core communities," Post-Print halshs-03718851, HAL.
    5. Gus diZerega & David F. Hardwick, 2011. "The Emergence of Vancouver as a Creative City," Chapters, in: David Emanuel Andersson & Åke E. Andersson & Charlotta Mellander (ed.), Handbook of Creative Cities, chapter 18, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. 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.
    7. Carolyn J. Heinrich & Gerald Marschke, 2010. "Incentives and their dynamics in public sector performance management systems," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 183-208.
    8. David Vallat, 2015. "Une alternative au dualisme État-Marché : l’économie collaborative, questions pratiques et épistémologiques," Working Papers halshs-01249308, HAL.
    9. Marinov, Marin & Şahin, İsmail & Ricci, Stefano & Vasic-Franklin, Gordana, 2013. "Railway operations, time-tabling and control," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 59-75.
    10. Jeremy Atack & Robert A. Margo & Paul Rhode, 2020. "‘Mechanization Takes Command’: Inanimate Power and Labor Productivity in Late Nineteenth Century American Manufacturing," NBER Working Papers 27436, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Raphaëlle Stewart & Faheem Ali & Casper Boks & Niki Bey, 2018. "Architect, Catalyst, Advocate, and Prophet: A Four-Lens View of Companies to Support Ecodesign Integration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-27, September.
    12. Elizabeth-Anne Thomas, 2019. "How Useful Is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Reporting Framework to Identify the Non-financial Value of Corporate Social Performance (CSP)?," CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance, in: Nicholas Capaldi & Samuel O. Idowu & René Schmidpeter & Martin Brueckner (ed.), Responsible Business in Uncertain Times and for a Sustainable Future, pages 37-87, Springer.
    13. Yan Jin & Raymond E. Levitt, 1993. "i‐AGENTS: Modeling Organizational Problem Solving in Multi‐Agent Teams," Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 2(4), pages 247-270, December.
    14. Roy, Kaushik & Khokle, Pradyumana, 2009. "Integrating Resource-Based and Rational Contingency Views:Understanding Design of Dynamic Capabilities of Organisations," IIMA Working Papers WP2009-02-02, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    15. Dave Buchanan, 1999. "Ways Ahead for Organisations: Disappointing Guidebooks," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 13(2), pages 399-402, June.
    16. Jinia Mukerjee & Roy Thurik & Olivier Torrès & Annelot Wismans, 2024. "Measuring organizational play in small businesses," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 2443-2476, December.
    17. Alpenberg, Jan & Paul Scarbrough, D., 2018. "Trust and control in changing production environments," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 527-534.
    18. Fracarolli Nunes, Mauro & Lee Park, Camila & Shin, Hyunju, 2021. "Corporate social and environmental irresponsibilities in supply chains, contamination, and damage of intangible resources: A behavioural approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    19. François Silva & Charles-Philippe Mourgues, 2020. "Les managers : mercenaires ou missionnaires," Post-Print hal-03083893, HAL.
    20. Koen Dewettinck & Jagdi Singh & Dirk Buyens, 2003. "Psychological empowerment in the workplace: reviewing the empowerment effects on critical work outcomes," Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School Working Paper Series 2003-29, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.

    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:61:y:2024:i:5:p:1737-1765. 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.