IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jomstd/v41y2004i2p219-246.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Management Research Based on the Paradigm of the Design Sciences: The Quest for Field‐Tested and Grounded Technological Rules

Author

Listed:
  • Joan E. van Aken

Abstract

ABSTRACT Academic management research has a serious utilization problem. In this field mainstream research tends to be description‐driven, based on the paradigm of the ‘explanatory sciences’, like physics and sociology, and resulting in what may be called Organization Theory. This article argues that the relevance problem can be mitigated if such research were to be complemented with prescription‐driven research, based on the paradigm of the ‘design sciences’, like Medicine and Engineering, and resulting in what may be called Management Theory. The typical research products in Management Theory would be ‘field‐tested and grounded technological rules’. The nature of such rules is discussed as well as the research strategies producing them.

Suggested Citation

  • Joan E. van Aken, 2004. "Management Research Based on the Paradigm of the Design Sciences: The Quest for Field‐Tested and Grounded Technological Rules," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 219-246, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:41:y:2004:i:2:p:219-246
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00430.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00430.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00430.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. W. Graham Astley & Raymond F. Zammuto, 1992. "Organization Science, Managers, and Language Games," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 443-460, November.
    2. Chris Argyris, 1996. "Crossroads---Unrecognized Defenses of Scholars: Impact on Theory and Research," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 79-87, February.
    3. Arie Y. Lewin & John W. Minton, 1986. "Determining Organizational Effectiveness: Another Look, and an Agenda for Research," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(5), pages 514-538, May.
    4. Mitchell P. Koza & Jean-Claude Thoenig, 1995. "Organizational Theory at the Crossroads: Some Reflections on European and United States Approaches to Organizational Research," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, February.
    5. John Child, 1995. "Guest Editorial," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 117-118, February.
    6. Geoffrey Squires, 2001. "Management as a professional discipline," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 473-487, June.
    7. James G. March & Robert I. Sutton, 1997. "Crossroads---Organizational Performance as a Dependent Variable," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(6), pages 698-706, December.
    8. -, 1986. "Agenda = Agenda," Series Históricas 8749, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Verspagen, Bart, 2000. "Growth and Structural Change: Trends, Patterns and Policy Options," Research Memorandum 015, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Matthew J. Robson & Constantine S. Katsikeas & Daniel C. Bello, 2008. "Drivers and Performance Outcomes of Trust in International Strategic Alliances: The Role of Organizational Complexity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(4), pages 647-665, August.
    3. Waqar Ahmad Saleem Qazi, 2017. "Impact of Workforce Development on Organizational Effectiveness: Evidence from Pakistani Public-Sector Organizations," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 9(3), pages 123-154, September.
    4. Khavul, Susanna & Pérez-Nordtvedt, Liliana & Wood, Eric, 2010. "Organizational entrainment and international new ventures from emerging markets," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 104-119, January.
    5. repec:iim:iimawp:13106 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Kingshuk K. Sinha & Andrew H. Van de Ven, 2005. "Designing Work Within and Between Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 389-408, August.
    7. Nerkar, Atul A. & McGrath, Rita Gunther & MacMillan, Ian C., 1996. "Three facets of satisfaction and their influence on the performance of innovation teams," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 167-188, May.
    8. Julie Smith David & Yuhchang Hwang & Buck K. W. Pei & J. Hal Reneau, 2002. "The Performance Effects of Congruence Between Product Competitive Strategies and Purchasing Management Design," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(7), pages 866-885, July.
    9. Meglio, Olimpia & Risberg, Annette, 2011. "The (mis)measurement of M&A performance—A systematic narrative literature review," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 418-433.
    10. Day, Diana L. & Lewin, Arie Y. & Li, Hongyu, 1995. "Strategic leaders or strategic groups: A longitudinal data envelopment analysis of the U.S. brewing industry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 619-638, February.
    11. Etienne Minvielle & Claude Sicotte & François Champagne & André-Pierre Contandriopoulos & Marine Jeantet & Nathalie Préaubert & Annie Bourdil & Christian Richard, 2008. "Hospital performance: Competing or shared values?," Post-Print hal-03477095, HAL.
    12. Glaister, Keith W. & Buckley, Peter J., 1998. "Management-performance relationships in UK joint ventures," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 235-257, June.
    13. Gordon H. Lewis & Ashok Srinivasan & Eswaran Subrahmanian, 1998. "Staffing and Allocation of Workers in an Administrative Office," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(4), pages 548-570, April.
    14. repec:dgr:rugsom:97a49 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. George Anayiotos & Hovhannes Toroyan & Athanasios Vamvakidis, 2010. "The efficiency of emerging Europe’s banking sector before and after the recent economic crisis," Financial Theory and Practice, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 34(3), pages 247-267.
    16. Brugha, Cathal M., 1998. "The structure of adjustment decision-making," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 63-76, January.
    17. Balaguer-Coll, Maria Teresa & Prior, Diego & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2007. "On the determinants of local government performance: A two-stage nonparametric approach," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 425-451, February.
    18. Zhu, Joe, 2000. "Multi-factor performance measure model with an application to Fortune 500 companies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 105-124, May.
    19. W. Alexander & Alfred Haug & Mohammad Jaforullah, 2010. "A two-stage double-bootstrap data envelopment analysis of efficiency differences of New Zealand secondary schools," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 99-110, October.
    20. Stephen E. Weiss, 2012. "Negotiators’ Effectiveness with Mixed Agendas: An Empirical Exploration of Tasks, Decisions and Performance Criteria," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 255-290, May.
    21. Bodo E. Steiner, 2017. "A phenomenon-driven approach to the study of value creation and organizational design issues in agri-business value chains," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 19(1), pages 89-118.
    22. Glunk, U. & Wilderom, C.P.M., 1996. "Organizational Effectiveness = Corporate Performance? Why and How Two Research Traditions Need to be Merged," Research Memorandum 715, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:41:y:2004:i:2:p:219-246. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-2380 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.