Great Minds in Management: The Process of Theory Development

This handbook is a reflexive book about the development of theory in management & organization disciplines. Smith and Hitt put clearly their work in the prolongation of two special issues in Academy of Management Review (1989, 1999) and another in Administrative Science Quarterly (1995), issues that were dedicated to the development of managerial and organizational theories.

The book begins with a judicious introducer chapter: “The process of developing management theory”. Smith and Hitt consider that, if the management and organizational scholars' community have a good sense of what a theory is (or is not), it knows less about the process by which theory is developed. Therefore, the purpose of their book is “to develop a better understanding about process of developing theory”. The two editors are convinced that the best way to learn how to develop theory is by studying the masters who have developed important management theory. So, they asked to about 30 outstanding and highly respected scholars to explain how they managed to aim such success. Among those scholars who contributed we cannotice: L.W. Porter, Vroom, Argyris, Mintzberg, Weick, R.E. Freeman, Pfeffer, and O.E. Williamson. Those incontestable contributors were invited to use a guideline –conceived by Smith and Hitt – to write their chapters.

The contributions are classified in three parts. The first one sets 11 chapters that focus on the development of theories about individuals and organization. The second part is titled “Behaviour of organizations” and counts seven chapters. The part III, “Environmental contingencies and organizations” contains six chapters. The scholars that wrote for this handbook not only present the theory that have put them under academicals lights, but also formalised how they have conceived, formalised, published and defended their theories.

But the main contribution of this book is may be the chapter 26 written by Smith and Hitt. If they do recognize that the development of a theory is something that is ambiguous, partially tacit, and thus non‐codifiable, they esteem there are some common elements between all the chapters. So they propose a process of theory development framework. According to our two editors, the development of theory is a four steps process during witch the scholars can play five types of roles and can mobilize five psychological characteristics. For Smith and Hitt the Process of Theory development comprises four stages: tension, search, elaboration and proclamation. Five roles can be played by those who want to develop an internationally recognized theory. There are: creator, codifier, carrier, researcher and advocate. The third kinds of ingredients to make a recognized theory are four psychological elements: passion, persistence, discipline, the focus on a big idea. After the reading of the 26 chapter, no one can doubt that theory development is a demanding process, not to be taken lightly, that requires personal and long term significant investment.

This handbook will be useful for those who are interested by the formation of managerial and organizational theory. It can also be highly recommended to those who aim to publish in the top scholars journals that require being able to propose new theory or to be able contribute significantly to major theories. At last, it will be also pertinent for those who have to prepare doctoral students to what is, clearly, more a professional education to research than a pure technical formation. To conclude, it seems that this book could become a basic reference in the field of organizational studies and even in epistemology.