The third point on our theory building axis represents
a moderate level of theory building—articles
that introduce a new substantive mediator or
moderator of an existing relationship or process. In
Whetten’s (1989) terms, these articles involve adding
a new “what” (i.e., a construct or variable) to an
existing theory in order to describe “how” a relationship
or process unfolds or “where,” “when,” or
“for whom” that relationship or process is likely to
be manifested. Such articles represent a moderate
level of theory building because they do clarify or
supplement existing theory. However, Whetten
(1989) suggested that adding one or two variables to
an existing model may not fundamentally alter the
core logic of an existing theory.