The first set of questions concerns what theory is and what it isn’t. We see these questions asimportant building blocks because they help to define theory. The question “What is theory?” refers to what the characteristics of a good theory are (such as being interesting and relevant) and how authors can make a theoretical contribution (e.g., Bacharach, 1989; Davis, 1971). It also refers to the building blocks of theory. For example, Whetten (1989) articulated theory as containing four essential elements: what (the factors in the theory); how (how the factors are related); why (explanation of underlying dynamics); and who, where, when (boundary conditions). The other part of the question, “What is not theory?” refers to
common misconceptions about what theory is
(e.g., Sutton & Staw, 1995; Weick, 1995).