Theory Construction in the Social Sciences - PowerPoint Presentation

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Theory Constructionin the Social Sciences

Alan Dennisardennis@indiana.edu

November, 2011

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AgendaWhat is Theory

What is Interesting TheoryVariance Theory versus Process TheoryA Process for Theory Construction

Testing and Generalizing Theory

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You say tomato, I say tomato

What is Theory

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Theory is

the explanation of a relationship between two entities: why A influences BWhy do people adopt new technologies?the explanation of factors underlying a specific phenomenon

Why was Windows Vista not widely adopted?

the explanation of a phenomenon

What does it mean to adopt a technology?

Abend, 2008

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Theory is

the explanation of theoretical meaningWhat is Marxist theory?an overall perspective of understanding

Technology can be thought of as a system of people and tools

and so on

For the purpose of this Workshop, I’ll use definition 1:

the explanation of a relationship between two entities: why A influences B

Abend

, 2008

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Components of a Theory

What the entities that comprise the relationship

How

the relationship(s) among the entities

Why

the underlying dynamics that link the entitiesWho, Where, When the boundary conditions to the relationship

Whetten

, 1989

Toulmin

Claim

Reasons

Evidence

Context

Qualifiers

Reservations

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Components of a Theory

Entity

A

Entity B

Because …….

Boundary Conditions

What

How

Why

Who,

Where, When

Whetten

, 1989

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Big T Theory versus small t theory

Big T Theories are given a name and usually have an acronym, written in capital lettersLittle t theories explain a phenomenon within a smaller domain, often an empirical paper

Dennis and Valacich, 2001

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What Theory is Not

ReferencesDataVariables and Constructs

Boxes and Arrows

Hypotheses

Sutton and Staw, 1995

Theory is a story with a plot that

explains how and why the

characters (entities) interact

with each other

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Is This Theory?

The intention to adopt a new technology has often been influenced by the perceived usefulness of that technology, the extent to which the technology can enable the user to accomplish a needed task. Venkatesh et al. (2003) conducted several experiments with undergraduate students and found that perceived usefulness had a significant positive impact on the intention to adopt. As perceived usefulness increased, so did the intention to adopt. This relationship has been observed in many other studies in a variety of experimental and organization settings (Morris, et al., 2000; Taylor and Todd, 2005; Venkatesh, et al. 2000). Therefore:

H1: The perceived usefulness of a technology has a direct positive relationship with the intention to adopt that technology

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Don’t write to get published, Write to get read

and citedWhat is Interesting Theory

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Upending Conventional Wisdom is Interesting

OrganizationSomething that appears to be organized/chaotic isn’t

Stability

Something that appears to be stable/changing isn’t

Evaluation

Something that appears to be good/bad isn’tCorrelationTwo things that appear to be independent/related aren’tCausation

The independent variable is the dependent variable

Davis, 1971

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Finding the Essence is Interesting

Starting a New Research StreamStudying the uncommon, but not the unnecessary

Formal Models

Translating behavior into math

Simplifying the Complex

The definition of a Nobel prize in physics is “Oh #$@!, why didn’t I think of that.”

Tesser

, 2000

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Extending Implicationsis Interesting

Surprising Implications of the ObviousWhen obvious truths leads to unexpected predictions

Implications of the Bizarre

When “impossible” beliefs are true

Look for paradox

Scientific discovery does not start with the word “Eureka”; it starts with the words “That’s funny.”

Tesser

, 2000

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Which is Interesting?

As perceived ease of use of a technology increases, so does the intention to adopt.As Web sites get slower, Internet users search for more information.

Novice Internet users are more likely than experienced users to believe that Web sites presented first in a Google search are “better” than others in the list.

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Every good variance theory has a good process theory at its core

Variance Theory versus Process Theory

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Variance theory strives to understand “What”

What entities explain the behavior of another entity? What explains the variance in an entity’s behavior? Variables with different attributes affect other variables Often tested with quantitative data

Variance Theory

Van

de Ven, 2007

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Technology Acceptance Model is a Variance Theory

Perceived Ease of Use

Intention to Adopt

Perceived Usefulness

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Process theory strives to understand “How” How do entities explain the behavior of another entity?

How do events explain the behavior of an entity? Entities move through different stages at different times Often tested with qualitative data

Process Theory

Van

de Ven, 2007

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Roger’s Theory of Adoption is a Process Theory

Knowledge

Persuasion

Decision

Implementation

Confirmation

Accept

Reject

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How to go from a blank page to a first draft

A Process for Theory Construction

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The Rational Model of Science

Martin, 1982

Theory

Method

Data

Analysis

Conclusions

is a waterfall model

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The Garbage Can Model of Science

Mine your Garbage Can

Theory

Data

Method

Analysis

Conclusions

Martin

, 1982

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Get “The Idea”

Prior Theory

Prior Theory

in

Other DisciplinesMethodsResources

Personal Experiences

The Idea

A B

Prior Empirical

Results

Martin

, 1982

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Define “The Idea”

The Idea

A B

Title (the idea)

What is the problem or issue (why do I care)?

What are the key concepts (i.e., A and B)?

What is the Research Question (RQ)?

What answer do you expect to the RQ?

Why do you expect that answer?

What are the boundary conditions?

What are the methods?

How will the data answer the RQ?

How do I know what I think until I

see what

I

write?

Van

de

Ven

, 2007

What

How

Why

Who, When,

Where

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Write “The Idea”

The Idea

A B

Title (1)

Introduction

- Setting (

7)

-

Problem

or Issue (2)

- What this paper does (4&9: RQ and its answer)

Prior Research and Theory

-

Prior Research

- Hypothesis development

- Define concepts (3)

- State the relationship (5)

- Explain the relationship (6)

- State the hypothesis

(4)

Methods (8)

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Refine “The Idea”

The Idea

A B

Targeted Literature

Search

Thought Experiments

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Like Qualitative Research Search for evidence to support or refute your idea

One hypothesis at a time Code articles (at the paragraph level) that offer evidence about your idea Both theoretical processes and data

Review the codings, change the categories, iterate

Multiple raters (authors) debate the evidence and change the idea

Targeted Literature Search

The Idea

A B

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Like Quantitative Research Set up tests of your idea like experiments

Think about the manipulations Run the experiment in your mind Multiple raters (authors) debate the evidence and change the idea

Thought Experiments

The Idea

A B

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Literature searches and thought experiments guide your thinking, not dominate it.

If you don’t like what the literature tells you can change your “data.”You Can Change Your “Data”

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Assess “The Idea”

What’s New? Value-added contribution to current thinking

So What?

Will this change research or practice?

Why So?

Is the underlying logic solid?Well Done?Is it complete and thorough?Done Well?

Is it well written and understandable?

Whetten

, 1989

The Idea

A B

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Every research method

is critically flawed

Testing and Generalizing Theory

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The 3-Horned Dilemma

McGrath, 1982

Lab Experiments

Field Studies

Surveys

Maximum Precision

Maximum Generalizability

Maximum Realism

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Generalization

Data

Generalize

Data

Setting 1

Setting 2

X

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Generalization

Lee and Baskerville, 2003

Theory

Data

Generalize

Draw Conclusions

Instantiate

Theory

Data

Draw Conclusions

Instantiate

Setting 1

Setting 2

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Publishing a theory is like marketing a new product

Find the message of the theory Its unique selling proposition Know the attributes that help sell a theory Who developed it (halo effect)

Its origins (borrowed theory is easier to sell)

Simplicity sells faster than the complex

Consistency with current Zeitgeist

Test market the theory With colleagues At conferencesIs Science Marketing?

Peter and Olson, 1993

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Questions

I teach BUS S798 on Theory Developmentevery Spring Semester, but I’m on sabbatical this spring, so it won’t be offered.

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References

Abend, G. (2008) “The Meaning of They, Sociological Theory, 26:2,

173-199.

Davis, M. S.

(

1971) “That's Interesting: Toward a Phenomenology of Sociology and a Sociology of Phenomenonology,” Philosophy of Social Science,1, 309-344.Dennis, A. R., and Valacich, J. S. (2001) “Conducting Experimental Research in Information Systems, Communications of the AIS,

7:5

Lee, Allen S.; Baskerville, Richard L

.,(

2003)

“Generalizing Generalizability in Information Systems Research,”

Information Systems Research

, 14:3

,

221-243.

Martin, J. (1982) "A Garbage Can Model of the Research Process," in J.E.McGrath (ed.)

Judgment Calls in Research, Beverly Hills: Sage, pp. 17-39

McGrath, J.E. (1982) "Dilemmatics: The Study of Research Choices and Dilemmas," in J.E. McGrath (ed.)

Judgment Calls in Research, Beverly Hills:

Sage, pp. 69-80

Peter, J. P. and J. C. Olson, (1983) "Is Science Marketing?"

Journal of Marketing, (47) pp. 111-125.

Sutton, R. I. And Staw, B. M. (1995) "What Theory is Not,"

Administrative Science Quarterly, (40), pp. 371-384.Tesser, A. (2000) “Theories

and Hypotheses,” in Sternberg, R. J. (ed) Guide to Publishing in the Psychology Journals, Cambridge University Press, 58-80.

Van de Ven, A. (2007) Engaged Scholarship, Oxford

,Whetten, D.A. (1989) “What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?” Academy of Management Review, (14), pp.490-495