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From borrowing to blending: Rethinking the processes of organizational theory building

Oswick, C., Fleming, P. & Hanlon, G. (2011). From borrowing to blending: Rethinking the processes of organizational theory building. Academy of Management Review, 36(2), pp. 318-337. doi: 10.5465/amr.2009.0155

Abstract

Why are there not more original and radical theories in organization theory? To answer this question, we consider an overreliance on "theory borrowing" from other disciplines. We identify a dominant foreign to domestic to domesticated pattern of organization and management theory building and propose that the prevalent process of one-way borrowing from outside the discipline should be counterbalanced by a two-way analogical process of conceptual blending, which involves dissonant thinking, disanalogy, and counterfactual reasoning.

Publication Type: Article
Publisher Keywords: ORGANIZATIONAL sociology, MANAGEMENT, ORGANIZATIONAL research, THEORY, RESEARCH -- Methodology, SOCIAL science research
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Departments: Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:
[thumbnail of OnlineAMRpaper2011.pdf] Text - Accepted Version
This document is not freely accessible due to copyright restrictions.

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