{"title":"Making Sense of a Seemingly Random Walk","authors":"James D. Westphal","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0003","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter traces the origins of my research on corporate governance and describes the pitfalls and challenges that arose early in my career. Many of these pitfalls are characteristic of conducting interdisciplinary research more generally. They include criticism from discipline-based scholars, special challenges in negotiating the peer review process, failure to articulate a coherent theoretical framework in individual articles, and the struggle to articulate a coherent identity as a scholar. The lessons learned should apply broadly to conducting interdisciplinary research on virtually any topic in organization theory and strategic management.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114755278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From One Empirical Study to 150","authors":"H. Greve","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0005","url":null,"abstract":"Performance feedback research examines how performance relative to the aspiration level on one or more organizational goals influences organizational search and change. It views the organization as solving problems presented by performance shortfalls, consistent with bounded rationality. This chapter examines the start of my research on performance feedback, the growth of this research stream, and how I and other participants in this research stream have sought to stimulate its growth and direct it toward interesting new research questions. In a series of notes on the steps this research stream has taken to advance our knowledge, I outline more general ideas on how research streams can become influential through recruitment of participants and setting of research agendas.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"84 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125431827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Embedded Entrepreneurship","authors":"O. Sorenson","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0006","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter reviews and reflects on Olav Sorenson’s most influential stream of research. He has examined how and why social relationships influence where entrepreneurs locate their startups. He has studied how those location choices, in turn, contribute to the success of those startups. And, he has examined how these constraints help to determine the economic geography of entire industries. The chapter both reflects on the lessons learned from the individual studies and speculates as to why some scholars end up being more influential than others.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128803591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Why the Heck Did That Happen?","authors":"Blake E. Ashforth","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0001","url":null,"abstract":"Theory is the lifeblood of scholarship, but the art of theory-building remains quite mysterious. Using his own experiences as a springboard, the author explores the process through which we might attempt to make sense of organizational life for the betterment of organizational practice. He discusses his own journey from proving answers (the hypothesis-testing facilitated by survey research) to asking questions (the hypothesis-generating facilitated by qualitative research) and considers how to translate an overarching research passion into research interests and specific research questions. The author offers a detailed look at how he and his coauthors build theory when their intent is to blaze a new path rather than simply pave an old one. He also briefly discusses research collaborations, the review process, and career considerations if you’re thinking about pursuing path-blazing ideas. His hope is that you’ll finish this chapter with the confidence to call yourself what you already are, at least implicitly—a theorist.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129302309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Concluding Remarks","authors":"H. Steensma, Xiao-ping Chen","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0013","url":null,"abstract":"We set out to uncover common themes and, perhaps, some disparities in the career stories from exemplar scholars in the field of organizational studies. Along with Robinson and Sorenson, we caution readers to be mindful of the inherent limitations of post hoc sense making. All of our contributors have reflected on their own paths toward success through their own biased lenses. Moreover, we have sampled on the dependent variable and have not considered the paths of those whose efforts have led to more modest success. Nonetheless, for rising scholars and those considering academic careers in organizational studies, consistencies across these individuals may provide some points to ponder. While none of the factors described by the exemplars profiled in this book is likely sufficient to achieve their level of success, one can speculate on the necessity of these factors....","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129077782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Careers as Stochastic Excursions","authors":"H. Rao","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0008","url":null,"abstract":"Careers are outcomes of stochastic excursions, wherein unexpected peers and events lead to conversations that blossomed into research projects and, eventually, studies in journal articles and books. I recount my career by describing how the arrival of stochastic opportunities unfolded as excursion—that is, adventures with people.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"32 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125542098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What I Have Learned . . . in My Journey as a Scholar","authors":"Sigal G. Barsade","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter allows for a reflection on the many lessons learned as an organizational behavior scholar. On the topic of doing rigorous, reliable, and relevant research, the focus is on the importance of organizational life eliciting interesting and relevant research ideas, the upside and downside of “high risk/high reward” research, how to “go big” theoretically, how to “go big” in methods, and the importance of realism and specific lessons learned in conducting both lab and field studies. Other topics such as learnings about working most effectively with coauthors, including addressing authorship issues candidly and upfront are addressed as well. Importantly addressing how having a full and balanced life is not only helpful in its own right but is helpful to one’s career is discussed. Last, just as importantly are the things to learn not to do, such as not holding on too long to projects that are not salvageable, not being a disagreeable reviewer, not looking to saying no to new opportunities. Indeed learning to try to actually say yes (judiciously). Ultimately the chapter exhorts scholar to be kinder to ourselves, and ends with the hope that these learnings from this author’s journey will spark ideas, offer insights, and help in the journeys of other scholars.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128953001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Messages to My Younger Self","authors":"A. McGahan","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0012","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter offers the reflections of a late-career scholar working on private entrepreneurship in the public interest. The author imagines what she would say if she could reach back in time and offer advice to her early-career self: Figure out what is important about what is changing in the world. Know yourself as a scholar, citizen, and educator. Know what is going on phenomenologically in deeper ways than what may be discussed in the news, or even contemporaneously in the journals. Once you do this, then try to contribute constructively as best you can to peaceable, responsible, satisfying, prosperous developments on the things that are important to you. Drop everything else.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128623421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fostering Enterprise","authors":"Rajshree Agarwal","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0010","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter uses an evolutionary lens to depict a journey that is also a destination for a lifelong learner passionate about upward mobility in intellectual, psychological, and economic realms. A mainstay of the research endeavors has been the study of innovation and enterprise. Starting as an economist studying the evolution of technologies and industries, the scholarly journey progressed to strategic management to examine firm and industry evolution and then to strategic entrepreneurship to examine individual, firm, and industry evolution. Currently, the research focuses on the interplay of enterprise and markets through an integration of economics, psychology, and sociology perspectives to understand the causes and consequences of enterprising individuals, organizations, and economies.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130012753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"My Journey with Justice","authors":"J. Colquitt","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190070717.003.0007","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter describes the author’s journey as a justice scholar, beginning with his first exposure to the area as an undergraduate working on an honors thesis. The author details how he engaged with the literature during graduate school and how his major contributions to the literature came about. Those contributions included a new measure of justice, the first metaanalysis of the literature, and integrations of justice with three other areas: teams, personality, and trust. He also describes an intrinsic motivation-based model that explains much of his influence and longevity as a justice scholar. Rooted in Spreitzer’s 1995 work on psychological empowerment, the model recommends that scholars: choose topics because of intrinsic interest rather than practicality or inertia; play to conceptual and methodological strengths when shaping projects; do research that improves the workplace while collaborating with PhD students whenever possible; and strive to do bigger projects that are relevant to the entire expanse of a literature.","PeriodicalId":312939,"journal":{"name":"A Journey toward Influential Scholarship","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131481817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}