The Use of Trajectories in Management Research: A Review and Insights for Future Research

Abstract

The increased incorporation of time, theoretically and empirically, has dramatically advanced our understanding of management. Trajectories, which describe longitudinal change in constructs using functions of time, have become one of management scholars’ most widely used methodological tools to examine if, how, and why constructs change. Yet, despite the rapid growth of trajectory research, we lack a coherent framework for understanding how trajectories can be used to generate valuable insights into change-related work phenomena. In this article, we review more than two decades of trajectory research to develop a taxonomy that delineates the theoretical extensions offered by different trajectory-related research questions. In addition, although seminal method articles offered initial how-to instructions for conducting trajectory analyses, there has since been no systematic review of the methodological practices actually used in trajectory research. Our review distinguishes eight critical methodological choices required in every trajectory study, catalogs the frequency of methodological choices made in prior research, identifies problematic practices that persist, and offers actionable recommendations to develop rigorous trajectory research. Finally, we discuss eight pressing issues in current trajectory research, including several prominent practices that must be abandoned, and suggest how to avoid or minimize these concerns in future studies. Together, our review provides management scholars with an organizing platform for developing trajectory-related research questions and a comprehensive guide to rigorous study designs and analyses.