Description
This seminar is designed to develop students' ability to understand, evaluate, and apply foundational and contemporary theories in organizational behavior (OB), with particular attention to the mechanisms, assumptions, boundary conditions, and levels of analysis that underpin middle-range theorizing.
The seminar focuses on understanding, evaluating, and advancing foundational and contemporary theories in organizational behavior. Particular attention is given to middle-range theorizing and to the mechanisms, assumptions, boundary conditions, and levels of analysis through which theories explain organizational phenomena. The goal is to help students move beyond linking variables toward developing theoretically grounded explanations of why, how, and under what conditions organizational phenomena occur.
The seminar begins with the foundations of theory building and theoretical contribution before examining a selected set of influential perspectives in OB. Throughout the seminar, students are encouraged to compare theoretical explanations, examine how theories are applied and tested empirically, and consider how they can be extended, integrated, or brought across disciplinary boundaries.
The seminar also includes periodic discussions of academic life and research practice, addressing questions related to doctoral training, collaboration, authorship, feedback, publishing, and other aspects of academic work.
Themes covered
- Theory theory building and theoretical contribution in organizational behavior;
- Middle-range theories: mechanisms assumptions boundary conditions and levels of analysis;
- Theory-method fit in organizational research;
- Developing theoretical arguments and linking theory to empirical research;
- Theory integration and cross-boundary theorizing.