Whetten 1989 - What constitutes a theoretical contribution
6 important questions on Whetten 1989 - What constitutes a theoretical contribution
How do you judge if you have the right 'what' factors?
Comprehensiveness; are all relevant factors included.
Parsimony; Should some factors be deleted because they add little value?
Too many is preffered over too few because deleting unneccessary factors is easier than justifying additional ones.
What constitutes the 'how' factor of theory development?
Think of operationalisation of concepts (arrows and boxes)
What constitutes the 'Why' factor of theory development?
i.e. The assumptions,
Answering the question; Why should colleagues give credence to this particular representation of the phenomena?
The 'why' changes the discussion from empirical to theoretical.
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What do the 'Who, where, when' elements of theory development embody?
Set boundaries of generalisability.
What are some simple mental tests of the generalisability of core propositions?
Sensitivity to context (think of qualitative research)
How can you demonstrate the value of a proposed change in a list of factors of already existing theory?
Just the addition of a new variable does not constitute a theoretical contribution.
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