Issues in Theory Construction

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss key steps in the theory construction process that have not received sufficient attention in the literature. Four issues are explored: (1) a brief history of the prevailing approaches to theory construction is presented; (2) an in-depth discussion is provided on how the core study model was developed—a special emphasis is placed on specifying a generic strategy for how to practice one’s own research craft; (3) a concise discussion on how to weave preliminary theoretical specifications into a viable midrange theory is described; and (4) a discussion involving how to write for an academic audience is provided.