Weick, K. E. (1995).

What
theory is not, theorizing
is. Administrative science
quarterly, 40(3), 385-390.
Sarath Pendyala
 Introduction

• Theorizing process seldom emerge as full-blown theories, which means that most
of what passes for theory in organizational studies consists of approximations
• The products of laziness and intense struggles may consist of references, data,
lists, diagrams, and hypotheses
• Sutton & Staw look at theory as a product than a process – this article focuses on
the process of theorizing
• This author argues that he is less certain than S&S that these five article parts are
not theory
 Approximation

• Most products that are labelled theories actually approximate theory

• According to Merton (1967), approximation takes four forms:
• general orientations in which broad frameworks specify types of variables people should take into
account
• Analysis of concepts in which concepts are specified, clarified, and defined
• Post-factum interpretations
• Empirical generalizations
• Runkel and Runkel (1984: 129-130) argue that theory is a continuum rather than a
dichotomy
 Contd.

• Theory belongs to the family of words that includes guess, speculation,

supposition, conjecture, proposition, hypothesis, conception, explanation,
model
• Slippages in the theory construction process
• What one needs to know, instead, is more about the context in which the
product lives – this is the process of theorizing
• All five parts noted by S&S can serve as means to theory construction
 What Theory Is Not, Theorizing Is

• Unconnected references are not theory; we need more precise descriptions of what is being
extracted from references
• Data is not theory; differential "responsiveness“ of data to changes in a treatment is frequently
an informative precursor to theorizing
• Lists of variables is also not theory; items not on this list are less crucial determinants than those
on it; if more items on the list are activated, more determinate the relationship
• Diagrams are not theory; diagrams are more explicit than lists about sequence, about more and
less determinate relationships, and about pathways of influence
• Standalone hypotheses are not theory; isolated hypotheses are close to theories and lack only
connections with propositions and concepts to make them into such (Bacharach, 1989: 498-499)
 Conclusion

• The issue seems to be of means and ends

• The process of theorizing consists of activities like abstracting, generalizing,
relating, selecting, explaining, synthesizing, and idealizing
• We may expect too much of any one attempt at theorizing; if any
explanation will always be deficient of generality, accuracy, and simplicity,
the best we can hope for is a trade-off
• Ungrounded theory, however, is no more helpful than are atheoretical data