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ABRI Lunch Seminar Jörgen Sandberg 18 June 2025 11:30 - 13:30

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We are happy to invite you to the ABRI Lunch Seminar “What’s your theoretical contribution?” Unpacking, problematizing, and rethinking theoretical contributions" by prof. Jörgen Sandberg (University of Queensland Business School, Australia) organized by ABRI and the KIN Center for Digital Innovation.

The seminar will take place on Wednesday, June 18th, from 11:30 to 13:30 (HG-07A37). You can find more information below.

As this is a lunch seminar, we kindly ask you to confirm your attendance by accepting or declining your emailed  invitation by Friday, June 13, at 10:00 AM, to allow for proper catering arrangements.

Abstract

While making a ‘theoretical contribution’ is widely regarded as the core purpose of management and organization studies, what it actually means remains highly ambiguous, causing continuous confusion and frustration for authors, reviewers, and editors. Moreover, despite decades of growth in published management articles, there is a persistent shortage—and even a decline—of impactful theoretical contributions. In this paper I (a) further unpack, articulate, and problematize what constitutes a theoretical contribution according to conventional views, and (b) explore why many theoretical contributions are perceived as offering limited theoretical and practical value, even when published in “top-tier” journals. The paper makes three key contributions. First, we explain why ambiguity around the definition of a theoretical contribution persists, by offering a more comprehensive and precise understanding of its components. Second, we identify and problematize two key assumptions underlying the conventional understanding of theoretical contributions, showing how they hinder researchers from developing more original and impactful work—ultimately contributing to the shortage of such contributions. Third, we propose two strategies that reimagine what constitutes a theoretical contribution—particularly novel and impactful ones—while also equipping researchers with concrete intellectual tools to generate more original and valuable contributions.

About ABRI Lunch Seminar Jörgen Sandberg

Starting date

  • 18 June 2025

Time

  • 11:30 - 13:30

Location

  • VU Main Building

Address

  • De Boelelaan 1105
  • 1081 HV Amsterdam

Organised by

  • ABRI and the KIN Center for Digital Innovation

Language

  • English

Biography

Biography

Jörgen Sandberg is Emeritus Professor in the University of Queensland (UQ) Business School, Australia, Research Professor at Lund University, Sweden, Honorary Professor at Warwick Business School, UK, and co-founder of the international conference Philosophy and Organization Studies (PHILOS). He has researched extensively in the areas of competence and learning in organizations; practice, process and sensemaking theory; theory development; philosophy of science; and research methodology, published in journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Organization Behavior, Organization Theory, Organization Research Methods, Journal of Management Studies and Harvard Business Review. His most recent books include Constructing research questions: Doing interesting research (2nd edition, with Mats Alvesson, Sage, 2024); Re-imagining the research process: Conventional and alternative metaphors (with Mats Alvesson, Sage, 2021); and Skilful performance: Enacting capabilities, knowledge, competence and expertise in organizations (with Linda Rouleau, Anne Langley and Haridimos Tsoukas, Oxford University Press, 2017).

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