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Inductive Top-Down Theorizing: A source of New Theories of Organization

Dean A. Shepherd and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe

Top down deduction theorists start with generalizations and determine if these generalizations
apply to specific instances, whereas Bottom up Induction theorists start with observations of
specific instances and seek to establish generalizations about the phenomenon under
investigation.
Steps of deduction approach:
1) Discovery of problem in literature
2) Re-examination of assumptions in
these literature
3) Alternative explanation through
hypothesis
4) Testing hypothesis through collecting
and analyzing data

Steps of inductive approach:


1) Theorists interaction with data
2) Data coding
3) Classification of coded data in to
concepts
4) Relationship establishment between
these concepts
5) Emergence of theory

These approaches though are eminent and popular methods of theorizing however are not free of
shortcomings. Theories arising from deduction approach are sometimes sterile, debatable, and
unable to widely be tested and theories arising out of induction approach may lack scope,
abstraction, and generalizability. A combination of these two approaches may produce more
robust theories while taking care of aforementioned shortcomings and the paper has presented
inductive top-down model as one of such alternate combination. This approach begins with data
(from literature) representing collective knowledge of the erstwhile intellectual community, from
which then theory is built.
Induction Top-Down theorizing
Underlying framework of induction top down theorizing is Coherence theory that bifurcates the
concept in perception and explanation. Coherence is operationalized in terms of extent to which
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explanations account for more evidence, are simpler, are themselves explained, and are superior
to alternative explanations. Coherence theory of Perception suggests theorists attention
determines limited and temporary coherence field and concludes with sensory representation of
the environment.

Article suggests A theorists sensory representation is a perception of

tensions, oppositions, and/or contradictions among divergent perspectives and explanations of


the same phenomena in the Literature.

Explanation part of theory describes the process how perception becomes represented in beliefs
as coherent mental representation. These explanations are nodes in network of knowledge data
and are interconnected via links to decision alternatives and to other explanations which forms
conceptual representation. According to authors of article conceptual representation refers to
general abstract statements of relationships between constructsincorporating explanations of
how and why, boundary conditions of values, and assumptions of time and spacethat
allow for a more coherent resolution of the theorists sensory representation. Following figure
explains the proposed theorizing model.
Sensory representations through various data
are formed as data is taken by the theorists and
knowledge is not given by data to theorist. And
hence

theorists

habits,

sense

organs,

perspectives and purposes of observations may


influence how the data is taken. Also because of
which theorist may not take data as whole and

use it partially. Formation of such subset of data depends upon where the theorist attention is
focused. Also this focus is due to either theorists prior knowledge or scholarly context.
Prior Knowledge

Literature
The literature itself can focus

Theorists

a theorists attention by

notions

speaking to the researcher

preconceived
like

research

questions & objectives,


sampling

and direct his/her attention

Scholarly Context

even

strategy,

constructs

and
about

to specific data and create

what is important direct

ideals for researcher.

and focus attention.

Theorists attention is largely


dependent

of contexts in

which she/he is imbedded as


these

contexts

influence

individuals decision processes


by channeling attention to
specific aspects of situations
which individuals can choose.

Theorists prior knowledge and scholarly context limits while literature (the data) helps in
formation of sensory representation of phenomenon.
The next step to theorizing is constant comparison of sensory representation and conceptual
representation. According to Coherence theory theorists develop a sensory representation of
assorted data and then conceptual representation is applied to this sensory representation of the
data to test the extent to which it rectifies or adds to the current state of knowledge in a way.
And then theorists constantly keep doing this comparison in order to refine this initial
conceptualization. According to authors Constant Comparison refers to the process by which
the theorist checks and tests the emerging conceptualization with sensory representations to
determine the extent to which the conceptual representation offers a coherent explanation of the
data.

There are two ways described in the article to compare; thought experiment and

metaphorical reasoning. Thought experiments are abstract hypothetical scenarios that act like
imaginary experiments. Metaphorical reasoning first provides theorist vocabulary to express and

then offers multiple ways to interpret them while revealing analogous information. According to
coherent theory this process of comparison and theorizing continues till sensory and conceptual
representations of theorist cohere. A theory emerging out of this process should have following
characteristics:

Broader; representing large range of phenomenon

Simple; having fewer assumptions

Explicit about interconnection; with existing knowledge and applicability

With fewer alternative explanations

Presented model has done following three major contributions:

It integrates theorizing approaches viz inductive, deductive, and abductive

It describes antecedents to focus of attention of theorist to one of these approaches

It determines role of knowledge and experience in theorizing

The description above is an attempt to simplify the article for easier understanding. This is
accomplished either by taking some quotations from article as it is or by paraphrasing. The
intention is not to reproduce or alter but to reduce it to its bare bones.

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