THEORY
Concepts, Constructs, and Variables
Concepts
Concepts represent conceptions of reality in our minds. Concepts represent generic ideas, thoughts, experiences, and instances (Jaccard & Jacoby, 2010). Concepts are abstract, defined by their associations with other terms, and are not directly observable (Van de Ven, 2007).
Constructs
Concepts can be arranged into clusters, representing a higher order cognitive process, identified as constructs (Jaccard & Jacoby, 2010).
Constructs are considered mid-range terms that reference components of a concept (Van de Ven, 2007).
Variables
Variables are composed of different levels or values (Jaccard & Jacoby, 2010).
They are measurable or observable, can be physically measured, and can be categorical or continuous.
Events can also be included as a variable, representing an “operational term that specific the activities or operations necessary to measure it” (Van de Ven, 2007, p. 113).
Conceptual Systems
Conceptual systems are formed when the relationships between concepts, constructs, or variables have been identified (Jaccard & Jacoby, 2010).
Conceptual systems can be investigated to explain why certain relationships are present. The relationship within these conceptual systems can be either explanatory or predictive (Dubin, 1978; Jaccard & Jacoby, 2010). The difference between the two is that explanatory provides insights into the phenomena being studies while predictive provides some means to predict a future event or behavior (Jaccard & Jacoby, 2010).
References:
Dubin, R. (1978). Theory building (Revised Ed.). The Free Press.
Jaccard, J., & Jacoby, J. (2010). Theory construction and model-building skills: A practical guide for social scientists. The Guildford Press.
Van de Ven, A. H. (2007). Engaged scholarship: A guide for organizational and social research. Oxford University Press.
What Theory is Not
1. References Are Not Theory
2. Data Are Not Theory
3. List of Variables or Constructs Are Not Theory
4. Diagrams Are Not Theory
5. Hypotheses (or Predictions) Are Not Theory (pp. 372-376)
Theory Is
Theory is the answer to queries of why. Theory is about the connections among phenomena, a story about why acts, events, structure, and thoughts occur. Theory emphasizes the nature of causal relationships, identifying what comes first as well as the timing of such events. (p. 378)
Reference:
Sutton, R. I., & Staw, B. M. (1995). What Theory is Not [Article]. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40(3), 371-384. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393788
Theory Definitions
An ordered set of assertions about a generic behavior or structure assumed to hole throughout a significantly broad range of specific instances.” (Sutherland, 1975, p. 9; as cited in Weick, 1989)
A conceptual framework that identifies the ocnnections, or lack of connections, between concepts/constructs to describe a phenomenon that furthers the academic knowledge base and supports researchers and practitioners in the field in which the phenomenon takes place. (Turner et al., 2018, p. 38)
Theory is simply a way of imposing conceptual order on the empirical complexity of the phenomenal world…. Ultimately, theories reflect, in highly abstract terms, the organization of a discipline’s knowledge base. (Suddaby, 2014, p. 407)
References:
Suddaby, R. (2014). Why Theory [Editorial]? Academy of Management Review, 39(4), 407-411. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2014.0252
Sutherland. J. W. (1975) Systems: Analysis, administration, and architecture. New York: Van Nostrand.
Turner, J. R., Baker, R., & Kellner, F. (2018). Theoretical literature review: Tracing the life-cycle of a theory and its verified and falsified statements. Human Resource Development Review, 17(1), 34-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484317749680
Weick, K. E. (1989). Theory Construction as Disciplined Imagination [Article]. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 516-531. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1989.4308376