Theory in Management Research

MGT 753-A

Theory in Management Research

Class Syllabus – Fall 2014 5:45 – 8:15 pm

1. Contact Information

Professor:Ann Murphy, Ph.D., M.B.A., C.P.A.

Office: 410 Babbio Center

Office Hrs.:4-5:45 PM Mondays (before class) + hours by appointment

Phone:(201) 216-5056

Email:

Course Website (moodle):

Note: I check e-mail multiple times a day, so that is quickest way to get in touch with me. I am also in school most days, so feel free to just stop by if you need me and if I’m available, I’ll help. If I’m not available, we can see up a time to meet.

II.Course Materials

You will not have to purchase a textbook for this course. Instead, we will be reading peer reviewed journal articles – both from capstone/classic literature as well as more current literature. All of these articles available for you on the moodle course website.

III.Course Overview

GOOD THEORY + GOOD METHODS = GOOD RESEARCH

The two main components of good research are good theory and good methods. In fact, I would argue that among the two, theory is the most important. Unless there are fatal flaws in research design, methodology can always be improved. Theory, however, often is less easy to alter.

The problem is, not many people understand what good theory is. Thus, the principle objective of this course is to make you one of the few that do. It is impossible to teach you everything you need to know about theory in the context of one course. I’ve been studying theory for many years and I still have a lot to learn. Within a course, however, we can make real progress.

IV. Learning Goals

After taking this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify and differentiate good theory from bad theory.
2. Understand some of the major theories in management research, how they were established, and how they have been applied to management research
3. Apply these major theories to your research

Additional learning objectives include the development of:

1. Written and oral communications: the midterm exam and final paper will help develop student’s written communication skills, and the class presentations of theories and class participation will help develop the student’s oral communication skills.
2. Core knowledge and research tools in their major field of study: the theories covered in the course will be applicable to all the student’s fields of study, and the approach of the course will more generally help students appreciate and be able to develop theory effectively in their research.

V. Course Tests & Assignments

Your grade in the course will be based on the following:

Assignments:

Class Participation15%

Class Presentations of Theories20%

Midterm Exam25%

Final Paper40%

Brief Description of Assignments (more thorough descriptions will be provided during the semester):

Class Participation

To get the most learning from this course, you must actively participate in the classroom experience. Participation first means coming to class. Participation also means actively participating in classroom discussions. We have a lot to learn from each other. Your participation will be graded at the end of the semester.

Class Presentation of Theories

In most class periods, you will be responsible for presenting a research article and facilitating discussion about it. The suggested format for this would be a 5-minute overview of the article (using 2-3 PowerPoint slides) with a 15-20 minute discussion to follow (time depends on how interested the class is in the article). See attached class schedule for list of theories and articles we will cover.

Midterm Exam

An exam will be given at the middle of the course and will include all material covered as of the date of the exam. The format of the exam will be discussed as it approaches.

Final Paper

Throughout the semester you will be working on a theory paper that will be due at the end of the course. This final paper must show you understand and can apply theory(ies) from class. Ideally, this paper should be in a research area in which you are currently working. The format of it will be consistent with theory articles published in Academy of Management Review (AMR). Although I am not expecting AMR-level quality at this stage, your paper should strong enough quality to be ready for submission to a conference. More details on this paper will be discussed throughout the semester.

VI. Academic Honesty Policy

Ethical Conduct

The following statement is printed in the Stevens Graduate Catalog and applies to all students taking Stevens courses, on and off campus : “Cheating during in-class tests or take-home examinations or homework is, of course, illegal and immoral. A Graduate Academic Evaluation Board exists to investigate academic improprieties, conduct hearings, and determine any necessary actions. The term ‘academic impropriety’ is meant to include, but is not limited to, cheating on homework, during in-class or take home examinations and plagiarism.“

Consequences of academic impropriety are severe, ranging from receiving an “F” in a course, to a warning from the Dean of the Graduate School, which becomes a part of the permanent student record, to expulsion.

Reference: The Graduate Student Handbook, Academic Year 2003-2004 Stevens

Institute of Technology, page 10.

Consistent with the above statements, all homework exercises, tests and exams that are designated as individual assignments must contain the following signed statement before they can be accepted for grading. ______

I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination. I further pledge that I have not copied any material from a book, article, the Internet or any other source except where I have expressly cited the source.

Name (Print) ______Signature ______Date: ______

Please note that assignments in this class may be submitted to a web-based anti-plagiarism system, for an evaluation of their originality.

VII.Grading

Grade / Score / Grade / Score
A / 93-100 / C / 73-76
A- / 90-92 / C- / 70-72
B+ / 87-89 / F / <70
B / 83-86
B- / 80-82
C+ / 77-79

VIII. Submission Requirements

I expect professional, high-quality work on all assignments. Writing style, grammar, spelling, and overall presentation will be considered in determining your grades. Unless otherwise noted, all written assignments must be typed on a computer, double-spaced, with a 12-point font and one-inch margins.

All assignments must be submitted at the start of class on the day they are due. No late assignments will be accepted unless under extreme circumstances that you have discussed with me in advance of the due date. Failure to hand in the assignments by the designated date will result in grade of “0” for the assignment. Tests must also be taken on the designated dates.

IX. Special Note

Throughout the course, I may make changes to any of the information outlined above. I will give you reasonable advance notice of such changes.

THEORIES IN MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

DRAFT Class Schedule and Assignments

Fall 2014

Date /

Session

/ Topic / Readings / Presenters
8/25/14 / 1 / Course Introduction / N/A
9/8/14
(labor day is 9/1) / 2 / The Importance of Theory – The Classics / Sutton, R.I. & Staw, B.M. (1995). What theory is not. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40: 371-384.
DiMaggio, P.J. (1995). Comments on "what theory is not".Administrative Science Quarterly, 40, 391-397
Colquitt & Zapatta-Phelan. (2007). Trends in Theory Building and Theory Testing: A Five-Decade Study of the Academy of Management Journal, 50: 1281-1303
Hambrick, D.C. (2007). The Field of Management Devotion to Theory: Too much of a good thing? Academy of Management Journal, 50: 1346-1352.
9/15/14 / 3 / More on Theory… / Hillman, A. 2011. Editor’s Comments: On the Future of Publishing Management Theory. Academy of Management Review, 36: 606-608.
Devers & Misangyi, 2014. Editor’s Comments: What is the Future of Theory? Academy of Management Review, 39: 245-249.
Editor’s Comments: The Craft of Writing Theory Articles – Variety and Similarity. 2012. Academy of Management Review, 37 (3).
Corely & Gioia, 2011. Building Theory about Theory Building: What constitutes a theoretical contribution? Academy of Management Review, 36: 12-32.
Mayor & Sparrowe. 2013. Editor’s Comments: Integrating Theory in AMJ articles, Academy of Management Journal, 56: 917-922.
9/22/2014 / 4 / Do Managers matter? A Doubtful View..
(Population Ecology Theory) / Lieberson, S. and O’Connor, J.F. 1972. Leadership and organizational performance: A study of large corporations. American Sociological Review, 37: 117-30.
Hannan & Freeman, (1977). The population ecology of organizations. American Journal of Sociology, 82: 929-64.
Young, R. C. (1988). Is Population Ecology a Useful Paradigm for the Study of Organizations? American Journal of Sociology: 1-24.
9/29/2014 / 5 /

Do Managers Matter? A More Positive View..

(Strategic Choice Theory) / Child, J. (1972). Organizational Structure, Environment and Performance: The Role of Strategic Choice. Sociology. 6: 1-22.
Hambrick, D.C. and S. Finkelstein (1987). Managerial discretion: A bridge between polar views of organizational outcomes. Research in Organizational Behavior. L. L. Cummings and B. M. Staw. Greenwich, CT, JAI Press. 9: 369-406.
10/6/14 / 6 / Upper Echelon Theory / Hambrick, D.C. & Mason, P.A. (1984). Upper echelons: The organization as a reflection of its top managers. Academy of Management Review, 9: 193 – 206.
Wiersema, M.F. & Bantel, K.A. (1992). Top management team demography and corporate strategic change. Academy of Management Journal. 35: 91 – 121.
Finkelstein, S, Hambrick, D.C. & Cannella (2009). Strategic leadership: Theory and Research on Executives, TMTs, and Boards. Chapter 5. Oxford Press.
Hambrick, D.C., Finkelstein, A.C. & Mooney, A.C. (2005). Executive job demands: New insights for explaining strategic decisions and leader behaviors. Academy of Management Review.
10/14/14
(class is a Tuesday) / 7 /

Institutional Theory

/ DiMaggio, P., and Powell, W., "The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields," in The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis, (Powell & DiMaggio eds), The University of Chicago Press, 1991, pp. 63-82.
Haveman, H. (1988). Follow the leader: Mimetic isomorphism and entry into new markets. Administrative Science Quarterly, 38: 593-627.
Oliver, C. (1988). The collective strategy framework: An application of competing predictions of isomorphism. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33(4): 543-561
Institutional theory in the study of multinational organizations: Critique and new directions
Mizruchi, M., and Fein, L., (1999) The Social Construction of Organizational Knowledge: A Study of Coercive, Mimetic, and Normative Isomorphism, Administrative Science Quarterly, 44 (4): 653-683.
10/20/14 / 8 /

A sampling of Motivation Theories: Expectancy Theory, Goal Setting Theory, and Equity Theory

/ Steel & Konig (2006). Integrating theories of motivation. Academy of Management Review, 31: 889-913.
Locke (1968). Toward a theory of task motivation and incentives. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 157-189.
Adams (1963). Towards an understanding of inequity. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67: 422-436.
Mooney, Wixom & Mahoney. An Examination of the Determinants of Top Management Support of Information Technology Projects. Working Paper
10/27/14 / 9 / Agency Theory / Fama, (1980). Agency problems and the theory of the firm. Journal of Political Economy 88: 288-307.
Fama & Jensen, (1983). Separation of ownership and control. Journal of Law and Economics 26: 301-25.
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency Theory: Assessment and Review. Academy of Management Review. 14: 47-74.
11/3/14 / 10 / Social Network Theory / Granovetter, M. S. (1973). "The Strength of Weak Ties." The American Journal of Sociology78(6): 1360.
Brass, D. J., K. D. Butterfield and B. C. Skaggs (1998). Relationships and Unethical Behavior: A Social Network Perspective. Academy of Management Review, 23: 14.
Moody, J. and D. R. White (2003). "Structural cohesion and embeddedness: A hierarchical concept of social groups." American Sociological Review,68(1): 103.
11/10/14 / 11 / Individual Student Meetings in place of class
11/17/14 / 12 /

Cognitive Diversity, Social Judgment, and Attribution Theories

/ Brehmer, B., 1976. Social judgment theory and the analysis of interpersonal conflict. Psychological Bulletin, 83, 985-1003.

Mooney, A.C., Holahan, P. & Amason, A. Don’t take it personally: Exploring cognitive conflict as a mediator of affective conflict. Journal of Management Studies. Forthcoming.

Pelled, L.H., Eisenhardt, K.M., & Xin, K.R. 1999. Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict, and performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44, 1-28.
11/24/14
. / 13 /

Theory TBD

12/1/14 / 14 /

Course Conclusion: Bringing it all together

/ FINAL PAPERS DUE
Suggested Reading (not required): / “Publishing in AMJ”, A seven-part series, ranging 2012 to 2012, volume 55(1-2) and 54(3-6).
Part 1: Topic Choice
Part 2: Research Design
Part 3: Setting the Hook
Part 4: Grounding Hypotheses
Part 5: Crafting the Methods
Part 6: Discussing the Implications
Part 7: What different about qualitative methods?

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