Theory Building in Management: A Review

Theory building is important for advancing management knowledge. But the task is full of challenges. There is an ample number of literature that offers many theorizing tools but lack a coherent understanding of how these tools fit together when we use a particular tool and which integration of tools can be used in the process of theorizing. In this paper, a systematic review of the literature on theory building in management has been done by using five key parameters such as: conflict, character, setting, sequence, and plot and arc. In doing so, I have provided a richer understanding of how specific theorizing tools facilitate aspects of the theorizing process and present a clearer portrait of the process of building significant theories. I also offer pragmatic empirical theorizing as an approach that uses quantitative empirical findings to stimulate theorizing.