Definitions of Theory and Theory-Building Related Concepts PDF Download

Author: Alaa Eldin Moustafa
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3656864039
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 31

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Book Description
Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - General, Northcentral University (School of Business and Technology Management), language: English, abstract: Why theory is important for scientific investigators and business professionals? Could theorists generate theory from trial and error approach, or a good theory must follow and go beyond specific virtues? Does theory necessarily require application? Eventually, do business professionals practice real business problems without theory? Theory's precise nature involves a vigorous debate among social scientists, academics, and business professionals. The theme of the debate is embedded in different types of theory and in the scholarly views of what constitutes a good theory. In this paper, we present three views on the nature and types of theory, focus on the relationship between theory and research, and identify theoretical directions through which research can contribute to theory.

Author: Pamela J. Shoemaker
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1452210438
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Click ′Additional Materials′ to read the foreword by Jerald Hage As straightforward as its title, How to Build Social Science Theories sidesteps the well-traveled road of theoretical examination by demonstrating how new theories originate and how they are elaborated. Essential reading for students of social science research, this book traces theories from their most rudimentary building blocks (terminology and definitions) through multivariable theoretical statements, models, the role of creativity in theory building, and how theories are used and evaluated. Authors Pamela J. Shoemaker, James William Tankard, Jr., and Dominic L. Lasorsa intend to improve research in many areas of the social sciences by making research more theory-based and theory-oriented. The book begins with a discussion of concepts and their theoretical and operational definitions. It then proceeds to theoretical statements, including hypotheses, assumptions, and propositions. Theoretical statements need theoretical linkages and operational linkages; this discussion begins with bivariate relationships, as well as three-variable, four-variable, and further multivariate relationships. The authors also devote chapters to the creative component of theory-building and how to evaluate theories. How to Build Social Science Theories is a sophisticated yet readable analysis presented by internationally known experts in social science methodology. It is designed primarily as a core text for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in communication theory. It will also be a perfect addition to any course dealing with theory and research methodology across the social sciences. Additionally, professional researchers will find it an indispensable guide to the genesis, dissemination, and evaluation of social science theories.

Author: Richard A. Swanson
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1609947339
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
Theory matters in applied disciplines—fields that apply scholarly research to professional practice, such as management, social work, health care, human resource development, education, and many others. Because these disciplines deal with human beings in the real world, a flawed theory can result in actual harm to people and institutions. When faced with a professional problem, practitioners resort to the latest fad or simply throw everything and anything at it because of the lack of sound theory. Scholars deal with problems by slicing them into small segments to study them but fail to address the practical implications. What's needed is a way to unite research and practice to create robust theory. This is exactly what Richard Swanson and Thomas Chermack offer here: a complete, five-step method for developing sound, field-tested theory in applied disciplines. Unlike many existing methods, which cover only the initial conceptualization of a theory, the authors offer a complete approach, from conceptualizing a theory to creating relevant assessment criteria, establishing a research agenda to test the theory's validity, applying the theoretical concepts in the real world, and using that experience to further refine and improve the theory. The method is not restricted to any single discipline, nor is it beholden to any research ideology. Swanson and Chermack provide a set of tools for each phase of the process, making this book accessible and applicable to a wide audience. And in addition to examples in each chapter, they offer two extended case examples of complete theory building. With flawed theories impeding the development of many applied disciplines, this book is desperately needed.

Author: Thomas R. Chibucos
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 9781412905701
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description
Readings in Family Theory is an anthology of classic and contemporary articles that provides a context for student learning by demonstrating how theory fits into the overall process of scientific research on families. The book provokes student interest in theory by providing examples of the scholarly application of family theory to compare how people use similar processes in everyday life. Using this contextual orientation, the selected readings examine nine prevalent theoretical perspectives from both family and human development sciences.

Author: James Jaccard
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 1462542433
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 545

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Book Description
"This book provides young scientists with tools to assist them in the practical aspects of theory construction. We take an informal journey through the cognitive heuristics, tricks of the trade, and ways of thinking that we have found to be useful in developing theories-essentially, conceptualizations-that can advance knowledge in the social sciences. This book is intended to provide the instructor with a useful source for helping students come up with ideas for research and for fine-tuning the resultant theories that emerge from such thinking. An objective of this book is to move toward a needed balance in the emphases given to theory construction and theory testing"--

Author: Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber
Publisher: Oxford Library of Psychology
ISBN: 0199933626
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 777

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Book Description
Offering a variety of innovative methods and tools, this book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date presentation on multi and mixed methods research.

Author: Elizabeth Steiner
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780949784063
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description

Author: Badrinarayan Shankar Pawar
Publisher: SAGE Publications Pvt. Limited
ISBN: 9788132102441
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book focuses on developing a cogent theory that leads to the specification of a hypothesis that can be taken up for subsequent empirical examination. It is a concise and holistic guide to theory building for such hypothesis specification. This volume breaks down the process of theory building into its component steps and explains each of them, starting with formative concepts of theory, units of theory, principles and processes of theory, to explaining theory building for hypothesis specification in organizational studies. The uniqueness of the book lies in its focus on theory building for the specific purpose of hypothesis creation rather than for propounding any grand idea or concept. It is enhanced with insightful texts and citations of thinkers and researchers of international repute.

Author: Sue L. T. McGregor
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1506350976
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 880

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Book Description
Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.

Author: Paul Davidson Reynolds
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317345142
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
A Primer in Theory Construction is for those who have already studied one or more of the social, behavioral, or natural sciences, but have no formal introduction to the way theories are constructed, stated, tested, and connected together to form a scientific body of knowledge. The author discusses scientific theories in general terms, but also addresses the special challenges of developing scientific knowledge about social and human phenomena. This Allyn and Bacon Classics Edition contains the complete text of the original copyright 1971 version, with new typography and page design.