This document provides a reading list for studying theory with six themes: 1) defining theory; 2) paradigm shifts; 3) the interplay of theory and method; 4) justifying theories; 5) publishing theory papers; and 6) accessing journal databases and citations. It lists key references on theory building, including seminal works by Whetten, Eisenhardt, Sutton and Staw, Weick, Pfeffer, and others. Recommended readings draw from the disciplines of management, organization science, sociology and include both classic texts and contemporary journal articles.

1. Topics and Reading List for serious Theory Studies
©2010 by Professor Yender McLEE, Aug 24
*Theme 1: Knowledge! Knowledge! Knowledge in knowledge economy! Theory!
Theory! Theory! What is theory in etymology and academia?
theism/atheism/thesis; Theoria/theosis in theology and apotheosis; Ph.D. versus DBA
from Th.D.; theory in Latin, English or Mandarin? gnosis=knowledge of God or
gods or saints; sagacity of 7 knowledge levels; How to heal himself (Allen Lee
on PhD in IS) See more Theory-on-Sale DM and A holder@YouTube named as
theory-Q+q-research http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?
p=AD9DAD1A8B51DF35 ;
YouTube search on “theory” “Ph.D.” theory as fashion brandname; a band; PhD as a
band; as a comic. See more on study notes on the plurk, you can search by
INK4tw and theory.
http://www.plurk.com/psearch#q=INK4tw+theory
*Theme 2: Is theory change equal to paradigm(s) shift?
Quotations of Theory of Knowledge online Yahoo! INK group.
World view 1 of scientists ([epistemology], ontology, methodology and
axiology)===> world view 2 (…)
*Theme 3: Interplay of theory and method? Co-evolution of theoria versus praxis
Academica (Cicero, BC 80) in Latin and English; IB scholarship and ranking
(Harzing, ); Rasing stars (Starbuck); theory, praxeology, teleology and
methodology, axiology;
*Theme 4: How to prove or justify a theory? Citation as effortful voting (Omega)?
ProvenModels.org 60+ or AIS theory 100+; justification by faith or citation process;
vote by hand/feet/dollar/citation;
*Theme 5: What and How to publish a theory paper with some propositions?
AMR editor-Kilduff (2006);
Chapter of [Critical] Literature Review of (Easterby-Smith et al., 2008) Management
Research; Schopenfauer (1813) fourhold roots of sufficient reason; Goethe’s
Faust; Kant’s [first] critical philosophy [theory] of pure reason; Comte positivist
and Kuhn’s paradigm shift. 歌德; 康德; 孔德與孔恩 (浮士德; 路德)
*K1: What is a SSCI-SCI journal? How to download for datamining into
knowledge©? Data structure of the database; What is major benefit of INK-
SSCI-SCI model?
Read so much LESS but know so much MORE (SaveonFood More Card);
*K2: Tag cloud [change] by Tag Crowd® of INK keywords as theory change
How to define, confine and refine to fine your major field in a discipline?
*K3: Timeline from Top 100 seeing sociology, history then philosophy of science or
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2. your intended major field. Carefully reading or scan reading?
*K4: How to write a literature overview then review paper after INK paper?
Critical review[/theory] of related literature; The chapter of management research
textbook (Easterby-Smith et al., 2008). YouTube holder of theory-Q+q-research
*K5: Publish or Perish® along with Google Scholar citation
Harzing.com and IB scholarship and 50 years (Adler and Harzing, AMLE2009);
K6: How to write a theory paper with some proposition after INK paper?
Reading List
 Professor Keith Rollag’s Stanford notes 300+ versus Professor Cavaratta’s
INSEAD summary 900+ …Toward a CJCU INK 101+ summary and idea for your
specifically?
http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/toc.html ; http://ot.cavarretta.com/index.htm
[R1] Dery-R and Toulouse-JM (1996) Social Structuration of the Field of
Entrepreneurship: A Case Study, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences
13(4): 285-305.
*Alder-N and Harzing-W (2009) When Knowledge Wins: Transcending the Sense
and Nonsense of Academic Rankings, Academy of Management Learning and
Education 8(1): 72-95.
[R2] Pfeffer-J (1993) Barriers to the Advance of Organization Science: Paradigm as
Dependent Variable, Academy of Management Review 18(4): 599-620.
*Lewis-MW and Grimes-AJ (1999) Metatriangulation: Building Theory from
Multiple Paradigms, Academy of Management Review 24(4): 672-690.
*Van Maanen-J (1995) Style as Theory, Organization Science 6(1): 133-143.
*Pfeffer-J (1995) Mortality, Reproducibility and the Persistence of Styles of Theory,
Organization Science 6(6): 681-686.
[R3] Sutton-RI and Staw-BM (1995) What Theory is not. Administrative Science
Quarterly 40(3): 371-384.
[R4] Weick-KE (1995) What Theory is not, Theorizing is. Administrative Science
Quarterly 40(3): 385-390.
*DiMaggio-PJ (1995) Comments on “What Theory is not.” Administrative Science
Quarterly 40(3): 391-397.
*Weick-KE (1989) Theory Construction as Disciplined Imagination, Academy of
Management Review 14(4): 516-531.
[R5] Whetten-DA (1989) What Constitute a Theoretical Contribution? Academy of
Management Review 14(4): 490-495.
* Eisenhardt-KM (1989) Building Theory from Case Study Research. Academy of
Management Review 14(4): 532-550.
*[R6] Eisenhardt-KM and Graebner-M (2007) Theory Building from Cases:
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3. Opportunities and Challenges, Academy of Management Journal 50(1): 25-32.
*Kilduff-M (2006) Editor’s Comments: Publishing Theory. Academy of Management
Review 32(1): 252-255.
*[R7] Kilduff-M (2007) Celebrating Thirty Years of Theory Publishing in AMR:
Award-Winning Articles from the First Two Decades Revisited, Academy of
Management Review 32(2): 332-333.
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