Strategic Management Research

Making Theoretical Contributions in Strategic Management Research

• The purpose of the essay is to provide a practical understanding of how to make a theoretical contribution to strategic management research.
• The authors offer a taxonomy of approaches to making a theoretical contribution.
• The taxonomy can be used as a guide for aspiring theorists in a specific area of work.
• It can also help identify areas of work that require additional theory development.
• The taxonomy disassembles theory into its component ingredients and explores how these components can be adjusted, improved, and recombined.
• Accuracy, simplicity, and generality are desirable characteristics for a theory.
• The essay emphasizes the importance of generality in theory.
• The authors argue that a theory should be able to explain and predict a wide range of phenomena.
• The taxonomy provides a wide array of different approaches for making theoretical contributions.
• It encourages theorists to explore and experiment with different components of theory.
• The essay highlights the need for continuous theory development in strategic management research.
• The authors believe that by using the taxonomy, aspiring theorists can make meaningful theoretical contributions to the field.