DiMaggio, P. J. (1995). "Comments on "What Theory is Not"." Administrative Science Quarterly. vol. 40: p. 391-397.

• Theory as description, enlightenment, narrative
• Clarity vs Defamiliarization
• Focus vs Multidimensionality
• Comprehensiveness vs Memorability
• Theory construction is social construction (resonance, slogans)

Friedman, M. (1953). "The Methodology of Positive Economics" in M. Friedman. Essays in Positive Economics. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

• theory judged by it's predictive power, all theories by nature unrealistic
• can never prove hypothesis, only fail to disprove it
• infinite hypotheses possible -- choose simplest one that predicts best
• hypothesis important if it abstracts what is necessary and allows prediction
• good hypothesis have assumptions often quite different from reality

Perrow, C. (1985). "Journaling Careers." in Publishing in the Organizational Sciences. edited by L. L. Cummings and P. J. Frost p. 96-107.

• Talks about ASQ asphalt toward normal science.
• But standardization, formalization vital for mainstream

Staw, B. M. (1985). "Reports on the road to relevance and rigor: Some unexplored issues in publishing organizational research." in Publishing in the Organizational Sciences. edited by L. L. Cummings and P. J. Frost. Homewood, IL, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 96-107.

• research based on literature fills gaps than new insights
• significance can refute common sense or give answer when common sense either way
• rigor is strength of inference
• existing journal publishing serves to limit creativity

Sutton, R. I. and B. M. Staw (1995). "What Theory is Not." Administrative Science Quarterly. vol. 40: p. 371-384.

• people make tradeoffs between generality, simplicity, and accuracy
• theory explains why
• Weick says good theory explains, predicts, delights
• theory not references, data, variables, diagrams, hypotheses
• easier to agree on strong empirical paper with no theory than weak test of a new theory

Van Maanen, J. (1995). "Style as Theory." Organization Science. vol. 6: p. 133-143.

• theory is a rhetorical act
• we try to "render organizations safe for science"

Weick, K. E. (1989). "Theory Construction as Disciplined Imagination." Academy of Management Review. vol. 14(4): p. 516-531.

• current useful theorizing hindered by validation needs
• theory is an ordered set of assertions..
• good theory interesting than obvious or absurd
• theory as disciplined imagination (like evolution), weave induction and deduction
• problem statements, thought trials, selection criteria
  

Weick, K. E. (1995). "What Theory is Not, Theorizing Is." Administrative Science Quarterly. vol. 40: p. 385-390.

• focus on process not product of theory
• Merton's four theory types are general orientations, analysis of concepts not interrelated, interpretation from single observation, empirical generalization
• theories are approximations -- hard to spot a good theory
• theorizing is abstracting, generalizing, relating, selecting, explaining, synthesizing and idealizing

Sutton's Class

• Argue for greater theoretical emphasis in quantitative research, along with more appreciation for empiricism of qualitative endeavors.
  

Virtues of Closet Qualitative Research

Don't include qualititative work in theory paper if:

• weak qualitative data leads to good insights
• when describing qualitive research reduces quality
• when an outlet does not publish qualitative papers
• when writing for audience biased against qualitative research

More

• Pfeffer/Van Maanen Debate
• Papers on research collaboration, rejection and revision
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Three Types of Paper

• theory without new data
• qualitative and inductive
• quantitative and deductive