Methods, Theories, Data, and the Social Dynamics of Organizational Research

Abstract

We characterize organizational research as a process driven by researcher’s adaptations to institutional pressures and resource constraints. Drawing on observations on the evolution of several research paradigms in management, organizational studies, and other disciplines, we argue that constraints on the set of legitimate research questions posed within a given theory, institutionalized research methods, and available/collectable data lead to a scarcity in opportunities for publishable contributions, and eventually to the decline of a research paradigm. We direct researchers’ attention to a number of symptoms of paradigm maturation and suggest strategies that are sometimes used to extend paradigm life. We also suggest that not all types of researchers working within a paradigm are equally affected by its maturation, and describe some implications of overly strict constraints on methods, theories, and data for the evolution of research paradigms and for careers of individual researchers.