Process Theorizing: Too Important to Ignore in a Kaleidic World

This article analyzes the arguments made by Lex Donaldson and Andrew Watson, university professors, about the role of theory in management education. Both Donaldson and Watson highlight the important role that theory plays in management education, but limit their discussion to variance theory--one of two fundamental types of theory in social science research. Given that variance theory has long been the dominant paradigm held by scientists and philosophers as well as the general public, it isn't surprising that both professors emphasize this orientation. Variance theory explains the variation in a dependent variable as a result of the variation in an independent variable. More generally, this approach attempts to explain a phenomenon using a small set of well-developed variables, embedded in a nomological net, tested with statistical techniques, and suited to predicting specific outcomes that are unaffected by the temporal ordering of the independent variables. Alternatively, process theory develops a causal explanation of a sequence of events over time by telling a story about how and why a phenomenon evolved as a result of the temporal ordering and probabilistic interaction of numerous events.