Revisiting Theory Building in Information Systems: What Constitutes a Contribution?
Shirley Gregor
Building theory is a vital part of research. Authors are expected to show a contribution to theory in
journal papers, yet theory and model building is often seen more as an art than a well understood
process (Gregor and Klein 2014). Avison and Malaurent (2014) recently used the word ‘fetish’ to
characterise IS journals’ focus on theory use and building and called for more tolerance for ‘theory
light’ papers. In a commentary on the Avison and Malaurent article, Gregor (2014) expressed
concerns that their article could lead to ‘theory bashing’ and a dangerous path for our field. Instead,
she called for more in-depth discussion of epistemology and how theory building is done.
This presentation takes up that challenge. It outlines developments in the philosophy and sociology
of science that can help us better understand issues such as inductive versus deductive thinking and
a current understanding of the scientific method. Illustrations are provided from theorizing in
management and the social sciences in general (Jaccard and Jacoby 2010; Smith and Hitt 2007).
Some practical guidelines are provided to aid authors in positioning the knowledge contributions
from their research.
References
Avison, D. and Malaurent, J. (2014) Is theory king?: Questioning the theory fetish in information
systems, Journal of Information Technology.
Gregor, S. (2014, to appear). Theory - still King but Needing a Revolution! Journal of Information
Technology.
Gregor, S. and Klein, G. (2014, to appear). Eight Obstacles to Overcome in the Theory Testing Genre,
Journal of the Association for Information Systems.
Jaccard, J. and Jacoby, J. (2010). Theory Construction and Model Building Skills A Practical Guide for
the Social Scientist. New York: The Guilford Press.
Smith, K and Hitt, M. (2007). (Eds.). Great Minds in Management The Process of Theory
Development. Oxford University Press.