Theory-building Process Research Articles

African Migration at a Crossroads: The Social and Theoretical Implications of Emerging International Migration Trends

This study examines international migration trends in Africa since the mid-1960s. It argues that African international migration trends are at a turning point that could significantly affect the future of migration studies. New African immigrant communities are emerging in Asia, South America, and other world regions, while the influence of state and non-state institutions is increasing. Moreover, interstate migration in Africa is now more disconnected from the legacies of the continent's colonial labor migration systems. By 2050, Africa is also expected to have the world's largest population in the age-groups that typically have the highest probabilities of migration, while per-capita incomes will increase in ways that could reduce the costs of migration. Although Africa's influence on future migration research is likely to increase, progress in developing theories to examine its emerging trends has been limited. With few exceptions, studies on migration in Africa focus on theory application rather than theory building. New theoretical approaches are therefore needed to adequately situate Africa's emerging migration trends within the larger context of migration studies. The building blocks for developing these theories include decolonial approaches that highlight African perspectives and the integration of the substantive influences of future migration trends into theory-building processes.

Twisted knowledge construction on X/Twitter: an analysis of constructivist sensemaking on social media leading to political radicalization

PurposeThis study aims to identify how Brazilian followers of an X/Twitter profile engage in theory-building processes leading up to the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasília, the Brazilian capital. This paper seeks to understand how cognitive and sociocultural processes weave together to weaponize collective knowledge construction that, in isolation, could be seen as virtuous but, in specific contexts, might lead to radicalization.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses qualitative content analysis of comments on ambiguous X/Twitter posts published by a conspiratorial profile associated with former President Jair Bolsonaro. Content was published in the three weeks that preceded the coup d’état attempt by Bolsonaro supporters on January 8, 2023.FindingsFindings point to users’ resorting to intuitive knowledge to support sensemaking processes in their search for subliminal meanings in tweets. That includes, for example, attempts to crack binary code-encrypted messages. This study also identified practices of cross-media sourcing, where users collect evidence from alternative social media channels to interpret messages containing verbal and visual information. Finally, this study found that religious symbols are often instrumentalized and become a lens through which followers organize information to integrate with their existing knowledge and assumptions.Research limitations/implicationsWith this work, the authors build on existing scholarship on epistemologies used by conspiratorial and radicalized groups as they engage in systematic sensemaking and often refer to religion to interpret messages that motivate extreme political position-taking. This study addresses a similar phenomenon as it unfolds in an understudied geographical context (Brazil) and seeks to demonstrate how individuals engage in collective sensemaking practices. The authors hope that their findings inform educators as they explore the affordances of social media to foster positive collective learning experiences in reasoning supported by social media.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is twofold. First, this study uses an analytical lens that draws on the learning sciences and cognitive science for inquiry of radicalization happening around social media. The authors understand that social media lend themselves particularly interesting to the analysis, as they are settings where notions of mastery blur, and individuals engage in conversations on complex, controversial topics. With that engagement, they demonstrate willingness to reason collectively. Second, this study investigates how those phenomena unfold in an understudied context, responding to calls for more diversity in research in the learning sciences as well as in media studies.

A scientific approach to decision-making: Key tools and design principles

The recent empirical studies have shown the positive impact of a scientific approach to decision-making on entrepreneurial performance. Building on this evidence, this article offers a description of the scientific approach that is oriented toward its practical implementation by entrepreneurs. Focusing on the approach's two main pillars – the processes of theory building and evidence gathering – we outline a set of tools developed to facilitate the application of the scientific approach in practical decision-making activities. Ultimately, we derive a set of design principles that researchers can adopt to develop novel tools and methodologies to aid entrepreneurial actions based on the prescriptive aspects of the scientific approach.

La teoría fundamentada en la investigación social: experiencia en un estudio sociocultural en salud

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the process of theory building based on Grounded Theory, from the analysis of empirical data on the right to health information (RHI) in the detection and medical care of breast and cervical cancer. These data derive from qualitative research, in which focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted with women between 25 and 45 years of age in a city in northern Mexico, to find out how they exercised the DIS in medical care, what their experiences in management were and what their perceptions of care were like. In the analysis of the first data and at the beginning of the open coding, self-perception was identified as an emerging category, defined as the interviewees' self-perception of their position vis-à-vis the physician and the health institution during the management of care. This category was analyzed in axial and selective coding, showing its explanatory potential for understanding the practices of women in exercising their right to health information. This empirical exercise shows that grounded theory implies a systematic and rigorous process of codification, comparison and integration of data and theory. This paper contributes to the understanding of theoretical and methodological decisions based on grounded theory in social research.

Seeding innovation: the role of internal and external digital data in agri-food product innovation

PurposeSince previous literature provides fragmented and conflicting results about the use of digital data for product innovation, the article aims to comprehensively explore and shed light on how agri-food firms utilise external and internal digital data sources when dealing with different product innovations, such as incremental, architecture and radical innovation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts an exploratory multiple-case study and a theory-building process, focussing on the agri-food industry. We collected primary and secondary data from eight manufacturing companies.FindingsThe findings of this research show an empirical framework of six agri-food firms’ digital data utilisation behaviours: the supervisor, the passive supervisor, the developer, the passive developer, the pathfinder and the conjunction behaviour. These digital data utilisation behaviours vary according to a combination of data sources, such as internal data related to inside phenomenon measures (e.g. data generated by sensors installed in the production plan) or external data (e.g., market trends, overall sector sales), and innovation purposes.Practical implicationsThis article offers guiding principles that assist agri-food companies when utilising internal and external digital data sources for specific product innovation outcomes such as incremental, architectural and radical innovation.Originality/valueThe significance of external and internal data sources in stimulating product innovation has garnered substantial attention within academic discussions, highlighting the critical importance of analysing digital data for driving such innovation. Nonetheless, the predominant approach is to study a single innovation outcome through the lens of digital technology. In contrast, our study stands out by adopting a fundamental perspective on data sources, enabling a more nuanced explanation of the overall product innovation outcomes within the agri-food sector.

CRiTical Race Information Theory as Innovative Pedagogy, Act Two: Still Harder Than You Think, and It Remains a Beautiful Thing

This counterstory began with “CRiTical Race Information Theory as Innovative Pedagogy, Act One: Harder Than You Think, It's a Beautiful Thing.” In the first act, the authors introduced Critical Race information Theory (CRiT) as a rapidly developing iteration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) applied within information settings. The first act also introduced the CRiT frameworks and tenets as well as the CRiT's three-dimensional infrastructure: CRiT as pedagogy, CRiT as praxis, and CRiT as theory (including the process and nuances of theory building). In this article, the authors transition from the first act's “What is CRiT?” discussion to the second act's discussion of how to “Make it CRiT.” Whereas act one covered an approximately 15-year period, this second act moves at a more rapid pace, primarily because it covers a shorter period of time (2021–2023). In act two, the CRiT as pedagogy setting changes from the context of the pilot course launched within the Department of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles to CRiT as pedagogy providing two offerings to Dominican University's School of Information Studies foundational course electives in its ALA-accredited curriculum. Before concluding, the second act offers inspiration and encouragement both to those who offer their critical race work as expressions of transformative, difference-making contributions and to those who aspire to develop and then offer their critical race creations.

CRiTical Race Information Theory as Innovative Pedagogy, Act One: Harder Than You Think, It's a Beautiful Thing

This first act of a two-act counterstory introduces CRiTical Race information Theory (CRiT) as a rapidly developing iteration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) applied within information settings. Act one offers a detailed introduction of CRiT, which includes the articulation of the CRiT framework and tenets, most notably the CRT seminal tenets and tools along with information-specific tenets. CRiT also has a three-dimensional infrastructure consisting of CRiT as Pedagogy, CRiT as Praxis, and CRiT as Theory (including the process and nuances of theory building). Therefore, this first part includes an explanation of the pedagogical, praxis, and theoretical dimensions. Thus, the first act provides the teaching philosophy, learning theories, and delivery method of the pilot CRiT-designed course. What is equally important is that both acts of CRiT as Innovative Pedagogy meet the responsibility of sharing authentic reflections in a manner that respects the critical race counterstory legacy, thus also documenting the journey of lived experiences that go with actively engaging in CRT-based scholarship. Both acts assist those looking to design similar curricular content.

El proceso constituyente español de 1873: origen y fracaso de la República FederalThe Spanish constituent process of 1873: origin and failure of the Federal Republic

Abstract The Spanish constitutional project of 1873 was intended to lay the foundations of the First Spanish Republic, whose proclamation took place in the context of the abdication of King Amadeo I to the throne. In this article I approach the analysis of the constituent process from a double perspective. On the one hand, that of the methodological rule of the possibility principle, which requires the project having a minimum probability of success in order to contribute to the theory of constituent processes. On the other hand, that of theory building process tracing, which allows us to causally reconstruct the failure and identify the intervening factors. I argue that, although the particular seriousness of the political crisis that existed in Spain at the beginning of the constituent process did not necessarily condemn it to failure, as the process progressed, the worsening of these circumstances, together with the novel but also divisive nature of the project, ended up dynamiting the initial consensus.

Do sacred incompatibilities explain the use of genocidal sexual violence?

This paper seeks to offer a solution to a paradox existing in the literature regarding the genocidal intent of the use of sexual violence in armed conflicts: indeed, according to data highlighted by Cohen (2013), genocidal intent does not hold as a cause of the use of sexual violence in armed conflicts at a macro level. However, since there have been numerous conflicts where the use of sexual violence was genocidal in its intent, then there must be a more precise explanation that could explain this phenomenon. To do so, this paper focuses on an in-depth case study of ISIS’s targeting of Yazidi women using theory building process tracing methods. I propose the argument that sacred incompatibilities, a concept derived from Hassner (2003) and Svensson (2007) offers a plausible cause of the use of genocidal sexual violence. The case study -a most likely case- supports the argument, though the theory should be tested in other case studies. The content of this paper, particularly the analysis, can be quite emotionally challenging, and it may trigger some readers; for those I would recommend skipping the analysis.

We Have Big Data, But Do We Need Big Theory? Review-Based Remarks on an Emerging Problem in the Social Sciences

Big data represents a significant challenge for the social sciences. From a philosophy-of-science perspective, it is important to reflect on related theories and processes for developing them. In this paper, we start by examining different views on the role of theories in big data-related social research. Then, we try to show how big data is related to standards for evaluating theories. We also outline how big data affects theory- and data-based research approaches and the process of theory building. Discussions include a summary of lines of reasoning, limitations, and a proposal for future developmental steps.

Towards theorising corporate social irresponsibility: The Déjà Vu cases of collapsed forestry ventures

AbstractBased on case studies and secondary data, this study theorises how and why firms engage in corporate social irresponsibility (CSIR). Using the inductive process of theory building based on case studies of two forestry companies operating in China, this study explains how and why organisations with initial intentions towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) engage in CSIR based on paths taken and the behaviours across micro (individual), meso (organisational), and macro (industry) levels. Hence, there is a ‘grey zone’ between CSR and CSIR (Clark, C. E., Riera, M., & Iborra, M. (2021). Business & Society, 61, 1473–1511. 10.1177/00076503211015911). This study extends the path dependence literature on CSIR (Küberling‐Jost, J.A. (2019). Journal of Business Ethics, 169(3), 579–601) by integrating moral disengagement and the theory of planned behaviour, stakeholder agency, and institutional theory into path dependence theory based on observed behaviours across micro, meso, and macro levels.

Designing successful agri-environmental schemes: A mechanistic analysis of a collective scheme for eco-system services in the Netherlands

In response to the challenges posed by the fragmentation of habitats and loss of native biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, diverse agri-environmental measures have been initiated across the European Union (EU) with the aim of fostering agricultural ecosystem service delivery. Previous studies adopting a governance perspective have identified various determinants of successful agri-environmental measures. However, the explanatory value of these studies is limited as the causal processes through which context and scheme design affect implementation success remain grey -boxed. This article uses a mechanism-based approach to uncover the causal processes that underlie actions and interactions within agri-environmental governance arrangements and provides insights into the role the interplay between context and scheme design plays in the successful implementation of agri-environmental measures. The empirical focus is the governance of a successful collective agri-environmental scheme in the Netherlands. In opening the grey box of the causal mechanisms that link contextual and scheme design with their results, the paper applies theory building process tracing methods. Results show that implementation success in the case is explained by the interplay between social learning and trust-building mechanisms. We argue that EU and domestic decision-makers aiming to improve the contribution of agri-environmental measures to climate change adaptation and mitigation must consider the contextual conditions that facilitate increased cooperation between stakeholders and, ultimately, successful implementation of measures.

A theory of Founder-CEOs succession: governance implications for mature family firms amidst strategic successes and failures

PurposeThis study aims to contribute to the academic disciplines of entrepreneurship and management by developing a new theory that explains Founder-CEOs’ succession in family and non-family firms. Many scholars failed to generate a specific theory to describe the succession of Founder-CEOs. Family firms remain complex enterprises comprising interconnectedness of cultural interests in which corporate governance occurs by families, Founder-CEOs and sometimes a board of directors.Design/methodology/approachThis study’s design/methodology/approach reflects post-modernist epistemological and ontological perspectives for conducting systematic literature reviews. To identify relevant studies in the review, the several databases (Australian Business Dean’s Council Journal Quality List; EBSCO Database, including PsycINFO and Psych studies; Web of Science) and a mix of ranked journals from entrepreneurship, management and psychology were used.FindingsThe findings and results in this paper reflect the purpose, methodology and literature analysis culminating in 1,582 peer-reviewed studies. A total of 182 peer-reviewed studies met the criterion for review. Throughout the research process, a systematic literature review uncovered management literature gaps overlooked for decades during the theory-building process. Hence, developing a theory of Founder-CEOs succession used a combination of systematic, inductive, comparative and interactive approaches.Originality/valueA Theory of Founder-CEOs Succession explains the strategic process of replacing a founder systematically. The promotion of, and incentives for, internal executives have been topics of great interest and deliberation among scholars and practitioners for a long time. This study contributes research implications for theory building in the academic disciplines of entrepreneurship and management by offering scholars and practitioners a theory that does not exist to describe Founder-CEOs’ succession encompassing both strategic successes and failures. By incorporating successes and failures, this study provides realistic reflections of Founder-CEOs.

The AMR Origins Series: Demystifying the Theory-Building Process

The AMR Origins Series: Demystifying the Theory-Building Process

‘I have never bounced back’: resilience and living with dementia

Objective This work responds to the limited research about resilience when living with dementia and develops a conceptual model to inform service development and healthcare practices for this population. Methods An iterative process of theory building across four phases of activity (scoping review n = 9 studies), stakeholder engagement (n = 7), interviews (n = 11) generated a combined sample of 87 people living with dementia and their carers, including those affected by rare dementias to explore their lived experiences. An existing framework of resilience developed in other populations served as the starting point to analyse and synthesise the findings, inspiring a new conceptual model of resilience unique to the experience of living with dementia. Results The synthesis suggests resilience encompasses the daily struggles of living with a dementia; people are not flourishing, thriving or ‘bouncing back’, but are managing and adapting under pressure and stress. The conceptual model suggests resilience may be achieved through the collective and collaborative role of psychological strengths, practical approaches to adapting to life with dementia, continuing with hobbies, interests and activities, strong relationships with family and friends, peer support and education, participating in community activities and support from healthcare professionals. Most of these themes are not reflected in resilience outcome measures. Conclusions Practitioners adopting a strengths-based approach utilising the conceptual model at the point of diagnosis and post-diagnosis support may help individuals achieve resilience through appropriately tailored services and support. This ‘resilience practice’ could also extend to other degenerative or debilitating chronic conditions a person faces in their life course.

Queer in the Latter Days: An Integrated Model of Sexual and Religious Identity Development Among Former Mormon Sexual Minority Adults

ABSTRACT Sexual minority individuals often have complicated relationships with conservative religion, including conflicts between their sexual and religious identities. Sexual minority members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (CJCLDS) experience unique struggles, given the policies and doctrine of the CJCLDS and its commitment to heteronormative family structures and gender roles. A better understanding of the identity development trajectory for sexual minority individuals formerly involved in the church can deepens our understanding of sexual identity development in constrained contexts and help promote successful identity integration within this subpopulation. Transcripts from semi-structured interviews with thirty-four sexual minority individuals who identified as former members of the CJCLDS were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach, followed by a deductive theory-building process in which Cass’s Homosexual Identity Formation Model and Genia’s Religious Identity Development Model were overlaid on themes. We present a model that captures the trajectory of sexual and religious identity development that captures the experiences of sexual minority adults within the constraints of the CJCLDS, a non-affirming religious denomination.

Transformation of Supply Chain Management to Green Supply Chain Management: Certain investigations for research and applications

In the production and manufacturing stream, green supply chain management has attracted much attention from academicians and policy makers. It encompasses theoretical and practical models, ranging from macro-level institutional pressure to micro-level lean manufacturing, total quality management, and supplier relationship management. A rising number of corporations are embracing sustainable development strategies, either due to peer pressure or to fulfil their social responsibilities to society and the environment. Against this backdrop, although vast literature is available, it lacks a theoretical model and management strategy for effective implementation of the GSCM within the firms effectively. The latest literature has a limited vision from the management perspective. Despite such popularity, there is a requirement for a comprehensive framework that can investigate the effect of GSCM on financial, social, and environmental performance with environmental uncertainties and product complexities at the micro-level. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine previous research and develop a theoretical model that incorporates an excellent theory-building process between the three primary features of global supply chain management practises competitive advantage and organizational performance. The study employs bibliometric analysis to conduct a holistic review to explore GSCM research and evaluate its methodological design, publication trends and themes.

Response to Invited Reaction Articles 1 and 2

We offer our response to the two Invited Reaction papers that identify interesting and legitimate challenges to our theorizing study. In the sense-making process of interpreting the critiques, we discovered that the challenges were rooted in deeper issues related to broader theory building processes and approaches. Thus, our response is particularly focused on exploring how these challenges may inform and guide future theorizing efforts. We organize our response in four primary aspects raised: (1) generalizing from small N samples, (2) singularity in the unit of theory, (3) challenges associated with typological theories, and (4) challenges in the theoretical specification process. We hope that our theorizing and the ongoing dialogues establish a solid starting point that identifies promising opportunities for future human resource development research and generates more interest that other scholars will extend our theorizing and validation efforts.

Uncertainty analysis on support vector machine for measuring organizational factors in probabilistic risk assessment of nuclear power plants

This paper is a product of a line of research by the authors to explicitly incorporate organizational factors into the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of complex socio-technical systems. This explicit incorporation helps (i) assess the system risk due to organizational and managerial weaknesses, (ii) identify the critical organizational root causes of failure scenarios, aiding in effective corrective action, and (iii) avoid the potential of underestimating the system risk involving human error and organizational factors. To facilitate the measurement of organizational factors contributing to the PRA scenarios, the previous studies by the authors developed the Data-Theoretic methodology, where “data analytics” are guided by a “theory” of underlying causation to prevent misleading results from solely data-oriented approaches. The Data-Theoretic methodology consists of two submodules: (a) DT-BASE that develops a detailed causal model based on a theory-building process and is equipped with a baseline quantification utilizing analyst interpretation of information extracted from relevant references; and (b) DT-SITE that conducts data analytics (text mining using machine learning) to quantify the organizational causal elements based on industry event databases. This article investigates uncertainty analysis for the uncertainties associated with machine learning-based data mining in DT-SITE using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for industry event databases. This article conducts a literature review and proposes a categorization scheme of the SVM uncertainties to establish a theoretical foundation for identifying uncertainty sources associated with the SVM classifier. The implementation of uncertainty analysis for DT-SITE is then illustrated using a nuclear power plant case study. The potential uncertainty sources related to the SVM classifier used in DT-SITE are identified using the categorization scheme developed based on the literature review. The uncertainty analysis procedure for the SVM classifier in DT-SITE is proposed, and the linkage to the current uncertainty analysis process in PRA is discussed. The proposed uncertainty analysis procedure for the SVM classifier in DT-SITE is applied to the illustrative case study to assess the impact of one of the potential uncertainty sources (i.e., the selection of document sections included in the dataset) on the risk-informed decision-making.

Managing systemic risk in emergency management, organizational resilience and climate change adaptation

PurposeThis paper applies the theory of cascading, interconnected and compound risk to the practice of preparing for, managing, and responding to threats and hazards. Our goal is to propose a consistent approach for managing major risk in urban systems by bringing together emergency management, organisational resilience, and climate change adaptation.Design/methodology/approachWe develop a theory-building process using an example from the work of the Greater London Authority in the United Kingdom. First, we explore how emergency management approaches systemic risk, including examples from of exercises, contingency plans and responses to complex incidents. Secondly, we analyse how systemic risk is integrated into strategies and practices of climate change adaptation. Thirdly, we consider organisational resilience as a cross cutting element between the approaches.FindingsLondon has long been a champion of resilience strategies for dealing with systemic risk. However, this paper highlights a potential for integrating better the understanding of common points of failure in society and organisations, especially where they relate to interconnected domains and where they are driven by climate change.Originality/valueThe paper suggests shifting toward the concept of operational continuity to address systemic risk and gaps between Emergency Management, Organizational Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation.