Pymes

c Academy of Management Review, 1989, Vol. 14, No. 4, 490-495

What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?
DAVID A. WHETTEN University of Illinois
ment? and (c) What factors are considered in j udging conceptual papers? The first section describes the constituent elements of a theory. The second section uses this framework to establish standards for the theory-development process. The thirdsection summarizes the expectations of reviewers regarding the substantive contribution and appropriateness of AMR papers.

Since becoming editor of AMR, I have tried to find a simple way to communicate the necessary ingredients of a theoretical contribution. There are several excellent treatises on the subj ect, but they typically involve terms and concepts that are difficult to incorporateinto everyday communications with authors and reviewers. My experience has been that available frameworks are as likely to obfuscate, as they are to clarify, meaning. Besides exposure to the works of Kaplan, Dubin, and others varies widely across the Academy. This article is a rudimentary effort to fill this gap: The intent is not to create a new conceptualization of theory, but rather to proposeseveral simple concepts for discussing the theorydevelopment process. It is a personal reflection, which has emerged out of my daily editorial activities. My motivation is to ease the communication problems regarding expectations and standards, which result from the absence of a broadly accepted framework for discussing the merits of conceptual writing in the organizational sciences. Finally, mycomments should not be interpreted either as official AMR dogma or ironclad rules governing the evaluation process. Each submitted paper is unique, and it is judged on its own merits; however, my thinking has clearly been influenced by the hundreds of communications I have read during the first half of my editorship. This article is organized around three key questions: (a) What are the buildingblocks of theory development? (b) What is a legitimate value-added contribution to theory develop490

According to theory-development authorities (e.g., Dubin, 1978), a complete theory must contain four essential elements, which are described in the following paragraphs. What. Which factors (variables, constructs, concepts) logically should be considered as part of the explanation of the social orindividual phenomena of interest? Two criteria exist for j udging the extent to which we have included the "right" factors: comprehensiveness (i.e., are all relevant factors included?) and parsimony (i.e., should some factors be deleted because they add little additional value to our understanding?). When authors begin to map out the conceptual landscape of a topic they should err in favor ofincluding too many factors, recognizing that over time their ideas will be refined. It is generally easier to delete unnecessary or invalid elements than it is to justify additions. However, this should not be interpreted as license to throw in the kitchen sink. Sensitivity to the competing virtues of parsimony and comprehensiveness is the hallmark of a good theorist.

What Are the Building Blocks ofTheory Development?

How. Having identified a set of factors, the researcher's next question is, How are they rel ated? Operationally this involves using "arrows" to connect the "boxes." Such a step adds order to the conceptualization by explicitly delineating patterns. In addition, it typically introduces causality. Although the researcher may be unable to adequately test these links,restrictions in methods do not invalidate the inherent causal nature of theory. Together the What and How elements constitute the domain or subject of the theory. The more complex the set of relationships under consideration, the more useful it is to graphically depict them. Not all theoretical treatises must contain figures with boxes and arrows, but a visual representation often clarifies the author's...