The problem and the solution. One of the challenges of theory-building research in applied disciplines is making the logic used to build the theory explicit and accessible to the user of the developed theory. Although different methods of theory building advocate different theory-building research processes, there is an inherently generic nature to theory building. This chapter acts as a foundation for the journal by highlighting strategies commonly used in building theory and offers a generic, five-phase method of theory-building research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alvesson, M.
, & Deetz, S. (2000). Doing critical management research. London: Sage.
2.
Argyris, C.
, & Schon, D. A. (1974). Theory in practice: Increasing professional effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
3.
Argyris, C.
, & Schon, D. A. (1996). Organizational learning II. Theory, method, and practice. New York: Addison-Wesley.
4.
Campbell, J. P.
(1990). The role of theory in industrial and organizational psychology. In M. D. Dunnette & L. M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook for industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 39-73). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
5.
Chalofsky, N. E.
(1996, Winter). Professionalization comes from theory and research: The why instead of the how to. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, p. 7-7.
6.
Chalofsky, N. E.
(1998). Professionalization comes from theory and research: The “why” instead of the “how-to. ” In R. J. Torraco (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 666-670). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
7.
Cohen, B. P.
(1991). Developing sociological knowledge: Theory and method (2nd ed.). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.
8.
Denzin, N. K.
, & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
9.
Dubin, R.
(1976). Theory building in applied areas. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 17-39). Chicago: Rand McNally.
10.
Dubin, R.
(1978). Theory building (Rev. ed.). New York: Free Press.
11.
Eisenhardt, K. M.
(1989). Building theories from case study research. In G. P. Huber & A. H. Van de Ven (Eds.), Longitudinal field research methods: Studying processes of organizational change (pp. 65-90). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
12.
Eisenhardt, K. M.
(1995). Building theories from case study research. In G. P. Huber & A. H. Van de Ven (Eds.), Longitudinal field research methods (pp. 65-90). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
13.
Gall, M. D.
, Borg, W. R., & Gall, J. P. (1996). Educational research (6th ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.
14.
Gioia, D. A.
, & Pitre, E. (1990). Multiparadigm perspective on theory building. Academy of Management Review, 15(4), 584-602.
15.
Glaser, B.
, & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies of qualitative research. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson.
16.
Gradous, D. B.
(1989). Preface to the monograph. In D. B. Gradous (Ed.), Systems theory applied to human resource development: Theory-to-practice monograph series (pp. 1-6). Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.
17.
Hansen, C. D.
(1998). HRD theory building through qualitative research. In R. J. Torraco (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 281-284). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
18.
Hatcher, T.
(1999). Reorienting the theoretical foundations of human resource development: Building a sustainable profession and society. In P. K. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 202-208). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
19.
Hearn, G.
(1958). Theory building in social work. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.
20.
Hultgren, F. H.
, & Coomer, D. L. (Eds.). (1989). Alternative modes of inquiry in home economics research. Peoria, IL: Glencoe.
21.
Jacobs, R. L.
(1997). HRD partnerships for integrating HRD research and practice. In R. A. Swanson & E. F. Holton III (Eds.), Human resource development handbook: Linking research and practice (pp. 47-61). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
22.
Jacobs, R. L.
(1999). Partnership research: Ensuring more useful HRD collaborations. In P. K. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 874-879). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
23.
Kaplan, A.
(1964). The conduct of inquiry: Methodology for behavioral science. San Francisco: Chandler.
24.
Kauffman, D. L.
(1980). Systems 1: An introduction to systems thinking. Minneapolis, MN: Future Systems, Inc.
25.
Klein, K. J.
, Tosi, H., & Cannella, A. A., Jr. (1999). Multilevel theory building: Benefits, barriers, and new developments. Academy of Management Review, 24(2), 243-248.
26.
Kuhn, T.
(1970). The structure of scientific revolutions (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
27.
Lewin, K.
(1945). The research center for group dynamics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sociometry, 8, 126-135.
28.
Lewin, K.
(1951). Field theory in social sciences. New York: Harper Row.
29.
Lynham, S. A.
(1998). The development and evaluation of a model of responsible leadership for performance: Beginning the journey. Human Resource Development International, 1(2), 207-220.
30.
Lynham, S. A.
(2000a). The development of a theory of responsible leadership for performance (Tech. Rep.). St. Paul: University of Minnesota, Human Resource Development Research Center.
31.
Lynham, S. A.
(2000b). Theory building in the human resource development profession. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 11(2), 159-178.
32.
Marsick, V. J.
(1990a). Altering the paradigm for theory building and research in human resource development. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 1(1), 5-24.
33.
Marsick, V. J.
(1990b). Responding to Professor Passmore’s response. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 1(1), 29-34.
34.
McLean, G. A. (2001). Contrasting three modes of inquiry. Unpublished manuscript.
35.
Morgeson, F. P.
, & Hofmann, D. A. (1999). The structure and function of collective constructs: Implications for multilevel research and theory development. Academy of Management Review, 24(2), 249-265.
36.
Mott, V. J.
(1996). Knowledge comes from practice: Reflective theory building in practice. In R. Rowden (Ed.), Workplace learning: Debating five critical questions of theory and practice (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education No. 72, pp. 57-63). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
37.
Mott, V. J.
(1998). Professionalization and reflective theory building in HRD. In R. J. Torraco (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 671-676). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
38.
Passmore, D. L.
(1990). Invited reaction: Pick a paradigm, any paradigm. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 1(1), 25-28.
39.
Passmore, D. L.
(1997). Ways of seeing: Disciplinary bases of research in HRD. In R. A. Swanson & E. F. Holton III (Eds.), Human resource development handbook: Linking research and practice (pp. 199-214). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
40.
Patterson, C. H.
(1986). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy (4th ed.). San Francisco: Harper & Row.
41.
Reynolds, P. D.
(1971). A primer in theory construction. New York: Macmillan.
42.
Root, M.
(1993). Philosophy of social science: The methods, ideals, and politics of social inquiry. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
43.
Ruona, W. E.
, & Lynham, S. A. (1999). Towards a philosophical framework for thought and practice. In P. K. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 209-216). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
44.
Senge, P. M.
(1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday & Currency.
45.
Shindell, T.
(1999). The need for theoretical model building in HRD. In P. K. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development annual conference (pp. 217-220). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
46.
Stake, R. E.
(1994). Case studies. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 236-247). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
47.
Strauss, A.
, & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
48.
Strauss, A.
, & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
49.
Swanson, R. A.
(1988). Research and development (and other life and death matters). Performance Improvement Quarterly, 1(1), 69-82.
50.
Swanson, R. A.
(1997). HRD research: Don’t go to work without it. In R. A. Swanson & E. F. Holton III (Eds.), Human resource development handbook: Linking research and practice (pp. 3-20). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
51.
Swanson, R. A.
(1999). Foundations of performance improvement and implications for practice. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1, 1-45.
52.
Swanson, R. A.
(2000). Theory and other irrelevant matters. Human Resource Development International, 3(3), 273-278.
53.
Swanson, R. A.
, & Holton, E. F., III. (2001). Foundations of human resource development. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
54.
Swanson, R. A.
, Lynham, S. A., Ruona, W. E. A., & Torraco, R. J. (2000). Theory building research in HRD—Pushing the envelope! In P. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development 2000 annual conference (pp. 1125-1130). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development.
55.
Thomas, G.
(1997). What’s the use of theory?Harvard Educational Review, 67(1), 75-104.
56.
Torraco, R. J. (1994). The development and validation of a theory of work analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota, St. Paul.
57.
Torraco, R. J.
(1997). Theory-building research methods. In R. A. Swanson & E. F. Holton III (Eds.), Human resource development handbook: Linking research and practice (pp. 114-137). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
58.
Torraco, R. J.
(Ed.). (1999). Performance improvement: Theory and practice. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1.
59.
Torraco, R. J.
(2000). A theory of knowledge management. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 5, 38-62.
60.
Van de Ven, A. H.
(1989). Nothing is quite so practical as a good theory. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 486-489.
61.
Von Bertalanffy, L.
(1968). General systems theory (Rev. ed.). New York: George Braziller.
62.
Weick, K. E.
(1995). What theory is not, theorizing is. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40(3), 385-390.
63.
Whetten, D. A.
(1989). What constitutes a theoretical contribution?Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 490-495.