Finally, the furthest point on our axis represents
articles that ground predictions with existing theory.
In Sutton and Staw’s (1995) terms, true theory
goes beyond models and diagrams by delving into
the underlying processes that explain relationships,
touching on neighboring concepts or broader
social phenomena, and describing convincing and
logically interconnected arguments. Although Sutton
and Staw (1995) focused on the degree to which
an empirical article contained such discussion
within its pages, we emphasized the degree to
which such discussion could be found in existing
descriptions of a theory. Those existing descriptions
may be found in prior empirical articles, theoretical
articles, or books and book chapters that
provide the space needed to fully explicate a theory
(Barley, 2006). For example, an author who uses
population ecology to ground the predictions set
forth in an article can find some elements of the
theory described in seminal journal articles (Hannan
& Freeman, 1977) and will find deeper and
more comprehensive treatments provided in books
(Carroll & Hannan, 2000; Hannan & Freeman,
1989).