Theory as method: introduction to supertheoretical options for organization and management research
Journal of Organizational Change Management
ISSN: 0953-4814
Article publication date: 10 September 2021
Issue publication date: 16 September 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This article is devoted to conditions and examples of how theories may be applied as methods in the fields of management research and organization studies.
Design/methodology/approach
An introduction to minimum requirements for a successful refunctionalization of theory as method as well as to nine contributions to a special issue of the Journal of Organizational Change Management on “Theory as method” is provided.
Findings
The review of these nine cases suggests that the use of theories as methods is not necessarily harmful for the former, and particularly not for the more robust among them.
Originality/value
This article sheds new light on the value of theoretical monism or loyalty and calls for a reassessment of the relative value of expertise in a specific research field, method and or theory.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Miguel Pérez-Valls (University of Alméria) and Augusto Sales (KPMG Global Strategy Rio de Janeiro) for their continuing support of management and organization theory activities at the European Academy of Management (EURAM) conferences. We extend our gratitude to the EURAM Strategic Interest Group on Research Methods and Research Practice (RM&RP) for its acting as a host for the theory sessions at the EURAM Conference 2019 in Lisbon.
One author gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Research Council of Lithuania and the European Regional Development Fund-ERDF/FEDER (National R&D Project 01.2.2-LMT- K-718-02- 0019).
Citation
Roth, S., Mills, A., Lee, B. and Jemielniak, D. (2021), "Theory as method: introduction to supertheoretical options for organization and management research", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 34 No. 4, pp. 689-698. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-05-2021-0162
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited