EDITOR'S COMMENTS: CONSTRUCT CLARITY IN THEORIES OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
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姝 Academy of Management Review
2010, Vol. 35, No. 3, 346–357.
EDITOR’S COMMENTS:
CONSTRUCT CLARITY IN THEORIES OF
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
One of the more commonly cited reasons for narrowly constituted on empirical questions of
rejecting a manuscript at AMR is that reviewers operationalization and measurement.
feel the submission lacks “construct clarity.” Yet Nor is my intent to discuss the broader ques-
reviewers (and editors) often find it difficult to tion of what constitutes “good” theory. This topic
articulate precisely what construct clarity is. In- has already received substantial prior, more
deed, in contrast to other social sciences, such skilled attention (i.e., Bacharach, 1989; Sutton &
as sociology and psychology, where the nature Staw, 1995; Weick, 1989). While recognizing that
and role of constructs are subjects of consider- strong, clear constructs contribute to good the-
able debate, the field of management seems ory, my goal here is more modest. I simply in-
unusually silent on the subject. The absence of tend to focus the discussion on why we need
an open discussion about theoretical constructs clear constructs in developing theories of man-
is somewhat surprising given their widespread agement and how best to accomplish this.
use in and undeniable importance to manage- This essay proceeds in four parts. In the first I
ment theory. discuss what constitutes a theoretical construct
The purpose of this essay, thus, is twofold. My and how to best create clarity in our constructs.
first objective is pragmatic. I hope to offer some Second, I outline why we need clear constructs
degree of clarification about how the issue of in management theory. In the third part I outline
construct clarity is dealt with at AMR. I do so by how the term construct means different things to
offering a review and synthesis of prior writing different kinds of researchers, and I explore how
on the subject in management journals and in standards of construct clarity vary across epis-
journals from related social science disciplines. temological and methodological divisions. Fi-
nally, I present a more normative argument
Ideally, this will assist authors of prospective
about the need for more open dialogue about the
AMR manuscripts to improve the clarity of their
role of constructs in our discipline.
theoretical constructs. My second objective is
less pragmatic but, arguably, more important. I
hope to open a dialogue within the AMR com-
munity about the role and use of constructs in WHAT ARE CONSTRUCTS . . . AND WHAT IS
developing theories. CONSTRUCT CLARITY?
Before doing this, however, I should be clear Constructs are conceptual abstractions of
about the scope of this essay. The intent is not to phenomena that cannot be directly observed
discuss issues of construct validity. This is a (MacCorquodale & Meehl, 1948). Kerlinger de-
subsidiary topic of high importance that has fines a construct as a concept that has “been
received and continues to receive considerable deliberately and consciously invented or
attention (i.e., Bagozzi & Edwards, 1998; Cook & adopted for a special scientific purpose” (1973:
Campbell, 1979; Schwab, 1980). Questions of 29). Constructs are not reducible to specific ob-
construct clarity and validity are quite distinct servations but, rather, are abstract statements of
(Bacharach, 1989). Issues of construct validity, categories of observations (Priem & Butler, 2001).
which flows from the ability to crisply and pre- Clear constructs are simply robust categories
cisely describe theoretical constructs, are more that distill phenomena into sharp distinctions
that are comprehensible to a community of
researchers—that is, animal, mineral, or vege-
table; gas, liquid, or solid.
I thank Bob Gephart, Bob Hinings, Dave Whetten, and the
editor and associate editors of the Academy of Management Constructs are the foundation of theory. Bach-
Review for their helpful and stimulating comments on ear- arach defines theory as a “system of constructs
lier versions of this essay. . . . in which the constructs are related to each
346
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holder’s express written permission. Users may print, download, or email articles for individual use only.2010 Editor’s Comments 347
other by propositions” (1989: 498). Just as con- Perhaps the most common definitional issue
structs are the building blocks of strong theory, in manuscripts is that authors simply fail to
clear and accurate terms are the fundament of define their constructs. Authors often use terms
strong constructs. As Sutton and Staw (1995) re- described as constructs and assume that the
mind us, constructs are not a substitute for the- reader understands the intended meaning. This
ory. They are, however, essential to the process is clearly problematic since any word has both a
of building strong theory. Constructs, therefore, denotative and connotative meaning. In The
are a necessary but insufficient condition for Structure of Complex Words, famous literary
theory. critic William Empson (1995/1951) demonstrates
The essence of construct clarity comprises that even individual words like “knowledge”
four basic elements. First, definitions are impor- and “honest” contain a complex “inner gram-
tant. Construct clarity involves the skillful use of mar” that can generate multiple and sometimes
language to persuasively create precise and contradictory interpretations of the same word.
parsimonious categorical distinctions between Offering definitions of key terms and constructs,
concepts. Second, construct clarity requires the thus, is a bare minimal standard of construct
author to delineate the scope conditions or con- clarity.
textual circumstances under which a construct A good definition should accomplish several
will or will not apply. Third, not only must the tasks. First, the definition should effectively
theorist offer clear conceptual distinctions, but capture the essential properties and character-
he or she must also show their semantic rela- istics of the concept or phenomenon under con-
tionship to other related constructs. Finally, the sideration.
theorist must demonstrate a degree of coher- Second, a good definition should avoid tautol-
ence or logical consistency of the construct in ogy or circularity. This occurs when a theorist
relation to the overall theoretical argument he uses elements of the term being defined in the
or she is trying to make. definition or incorporates antecedent or out-
Reviewers are quick to reject a manuscript come variables as part of his or her definition.
where the core constructs are weakly defined, where Thus, defining a “transformational leader” as a
contextual conditions are not specified, or where “leader who transforms organizations” is an
their connection to other constructs and to the empty definition because it uses the construct in
overall theory is not clear. Unfortunately, the the definition. Similarly, defining “cognitive
typical rejection letter offers little space to con- ability” as “a capability that enables people to
textualize or elaborate these conditions. How do learn more effectively in contexts that are dy-
these constituent elements contribute to clear namic or complex” creates confusion because it
construct development? How do they contribute incorporates, as part of the definition, anteced-
to theory? More significantly, what can I, as an ent variables (i.e., complex and dynamic con-
author, do to ensure that the constructs used in texts) that are likely causally related to the con-
my theoretical argument meet the requisite struct being defined.
standard for clarity and precision? My intent is Third, a good definition should be parsimoni-
to address these questions in the balance of this ous. That is, it should try to capture as concisely
section. I begin by elaborating each of the four as possible the essential characteristics of a
subcomponents of construct clarity described phenomenon or concept. The challenge here is
above under the following four headings; defi- twofold. On the one hand, the definition should
nitions, scope conditions, relations between focus the meaning of the term as narrowly as
constructs and coherence. possible. On the other hand, there is a danger of
overshooting the mark— offering a construct
definition that is so narrow it lacks relevance
Definitions
and cannot be generalized.
Theory construction relies on the ability of These three characteristics of a good defini-
theorists to accurately abstract empirical phe- tion are intended to help fix the meaning of a
nomena into robust conceptual generalizations. theoretical term. Meanings, however, are notori-
Accomplishing this requires an unusual skill in ously difficult to specify, for a variety of reasons.
translating abstract concepts into crisply de- One reason is that the meanings of words are
fined theoretical constructs. never fixed or permanent. When different re-348 Academy of Management Review July
searchers apply an existing construct to a new inition—which they then recalibrate by trim-
empirical context, they often change the mean- ming away the surplus meaning of prior uses
ing of the term, however slightly. Over time and and introducing their own three salient at-
over multiple empirical applications, the defini- tributes (power, legitimacy, and urgency). In this
tion of a construct tends to drift—that is, it ac- way the authors demonstrate their command of
quires substantial “surplus meaning” (MacCor- the relevant literature by illustrating the prior
quodale & Meehl, 1948) or meaning beyond the accumulation of surplus meaning in a term and
parameters of its original intended definition. then impose some order on the construct by in-
Therefore, it is incumbent on the theorist to first troducing a new, refined definition of the term.
demonstrate the prior uses of the term and then The most common error in developing con-
to illustrate, as exhaustively as possible, prior structs is making them too general. There is,
variation in how the term has been used. however, considerable danger in extending this
Similarly, new constructs are often given logic too far. That is, on occasion constructs can
names used in common speech—for example, be presented too narrowly. Recall that a key
“organizational performance.” In this case the function of constructs is to create robust catego-
term performance has acquired substantial sur- rizations of phenomena. If the categories are
plus meaning as a result of its use in literature expressed too narrowly, the theoretical rele-
and advertising, as well as its everyday use. The vance of a construct will be compromised (Ast-
term has a depth of connotation, some of which ley, 1985). The creative capacity of theoretical
works well for the intended theory and some of constructs rests on the tension between defini-
which does not. As a result, researchers working tional accuracy and ideational scope. Effective
at both the organizational (Hansen & Wernerfeldt, constructs create broad categories and, thus,
1989) and individual (Rogers & Wright, 1998) levels should not be reducible to narrow empirical ob-
of analysis have expressed concern about the dif- servations. Some degree of linguistic ambiguity
ficulty of constraining the definition of perfor- is therefore a useful component of any theoreti-
mance as a construct. The construct of “family cal construct (Astley & Zammuto, 1992). The chal-
business” also suffers from definitional clarity lenge is to create constructs that are sufficiently
as a result of its surplus meaning acquired from narrow enough to strip away unintended conno-
everyday use. Sharma, Chrisman, and Chua tations and surplus meaning but are conceptu-
(1996) found thirty-four different definitional ally broad enough to capture the underlying es-
uses of the term in management literature. sence of the phenomenon.
In any case, it is critically important for the
theorist to attempt to strip away the extraneous
Scope Conditions
meaning that has become attached to a con-
struct. He or she can accomplish this by offering In contrast to the physical sciences, few con-
a contextually specific and clear definition of structs in organization theory have universal
the term. But achieving this is no simple task, application. Rather, organizational constructs
particularly where, as in most instances of the- tend to be highly sensitive to and contingent on
ory development, there is no clear agreement on contextual conditions. So, for example, con-
the substantive definitional content of a structs developed from research on large, pub-
construct. licly traded corporations may have little rele-
There are, however, excellent illustrative ex- vance for closely held corporations (Shane &
amples of how this can be done. Consider, for Venkataraman, 2000) or family businesses. Sim-
example, how Mitchell, Agle, and Wood (1997) ilarly, organizational constructs are highly cul-
develop their definition of the term stakeholder turally sensitive. Constructs formulated by
in their groundbreaking AMR article. They begin studying North American corporations may not
by acknowledging the “maddening variety” of exhibit the same characteristics in Asian orga-
uses of the term. They then catalog these defi- nizations (Gibson & Zellmer-Bruhn, 2001; Shen-
nitions across various theories, including kar & von Glinow, 1994; White, 2002).
agency, behavioral, ecological, institutional, re- There is also a noted tendency within man-
source dependence, and transaction cost theo- agement scholarship for researchers to “borrow”
ries of the firm. The authors go on to offer a new concepts from other disciplines, such as psy-
definition of the term—a purposefully broad def- chology or biology. In addition, organizational2010 Editor’s Comments 349
researchers often take constructs developed at level of analysis under which a proposed con-
one level of analysis, such as the individual, struct will apply (Rousseau, 1985). As Klein,
and apply them to another level of analysis, Dansereau, and Hall remind us,
such as the group, team, or organization (Floyd, No construct is level free. Every construct is tied
2009). While the practice of borrowing constructs to one or more organizational levels or entities,
can be beneficial, it is often done unreflectively, that is, individuals, dyads, groups, organizations,
without considering how the borrowed construct industries, markets, and so on. To examine orga-
might vary as a result of the distinctive nature of nizational phenomena is thus to encounter levels
issues. Levels issues create particular problems
organizations (Whetten, Felin, & King, 2009). In when the level of theory, the level of measure-
the process of borrowing constructs, researchers ment, and/or the level of statistical analysis are
often assume universality and neglect to clarify incongruent (1994: 198).
whether the essential characteristics of a con-
So, for example, employee performance is a con-
struct that may have been present in the origi-
struct that is highly dependent on the level of
nal context are equally present in the new one.
analysis within the organization where observa-
Because organizational constructs lack uni-
tions are made. An individual might be perform-
versality, it is very important for theorists to
spell out the contextual conditions under which ing extremely well in reference to his or her past
a proposed construct will or will not adhere (Du- performance (individual level) but below aver-
bin, 1969). Failure to specify the “boundary lim- age relative to group performance and merely
its” or “scope conditions” of a construct exposes average at the organizational level.
one’s theoretical argument to almost certain re- Organizational constructs are subject to con-
jection. When an author claims universal appli- straints of time because organizational phenom-
cation of a construct, it is usually very easy for a ena tend to be temporal, and as a result,
reviewer to identify at least one exception to the changes in time may affect the expression of
hypothetical abstraction. Indeed, as Walker and any construct (Avital, 2000; Zaheer, Albert, & Za-
Cohen observe, “One can easily find exceptions heer, 1999). Critics, however, have observed that
to most of the propositions which are advanced management theorists tend to ignore the tempo-
as general . . . principles” (1985: 288). ral boundaries of phenomena and assume in-
variance over time in key constructs. George
Finding a single exception is often fatal to a
and Jones offer two key examples:
construct because it implies that any proposi-
tion associated with the construct is false. Re- So, for example, any conceptualization of motiva-
viewers may take this position even in cases tion must contain reference to its inherently sub-
jective and changing nature and definitions
where there is substantial positive empirical
should not be constrained by viewing it through
support for a construct, largely because most the lens of standard time. As another example, it
reviewers have been oversocialized to accept should be recognized that the desire to act oppor-
falsification as the basis of scientific truth. An tunistically can be viewed as a state of mind that
easy resolution to this problem, however, is sim- can change, often quickly; however opportunism
is often treated as a stable tendency that exists
ply to avoid overgeneralizing the nature of your
across people and situations (2000: 667).
constructs by placing scope conditions on
them—that is, carefully outlining the contextual Another example, recounted by Zaheer et al.
conditions under which the constructs will or (1999: 726), is that the antecedents and nature of
will not apply. trust seem to vary over different time scales.
There are three general categories or types of When observed over short time frames, trust ap-
scope conditions: space, time, and values (Bach- pears to be based on stereotypical features of a
arach, 1989). The first two are relatively straight- potential alliance partner. But when measured
forward and easy to address. Constraints of over longer time frames, trust is based on more
space, discussed above, refer to the fact that specific or individualized elements of potential
constructs may apply differently in different partners.
types of organizations, at different levels of or- Often, organizational constructs implicitly as-
ganizational analysis, under different cultural sume boundary conditions of time, without mak-
conditions, or in varying environmental circum- ing them explicit. George and Jones (2000: 662)
stances. Perhaps the most common omission in point to research on job satisfaction as an illus-
theory manuscripts is a failure to specify the tration of this, where research typically mea-350 Academy of Management Review July
sures job satisfaction at time 1 and then mea- should provide answers to what the constructs
sures absenteeism at time 2— usually one year are, how and why they are related, who the
later. The methodology implies certain assump- constructs apply to, and when and where they
tions about the temporal scope conditions of job are applicable.
satisfaction as a construct—that is, that job sat-
isfaction is stable over that time period but ab-
Relationships Between Constructs
senteeism is incremental. Job stress, similarly,
has been viewed as a construct with both incre- With apologies to John Donne, no construct is
mental temporal scope conditions—it increases an island. Constructs exist only in referential
incrementally as an employee encounters in- relationships, either explicit or implicit, with
creasing levels of stressors—and discontinuous other constructs and with the phenomena they
temporal scope conditions—a specific event in- are designed to represent. New constructs are
creases stress temporarily but the stress then rarely created de novo. Rather, they are usually
subsides. Both conceptualizations of the con- the result of creative building upon preexisting
struct of stress are accurate, but they operate constructs, which themselves refer to other ex-
under different boundary conditions of time. The tant constructs, in an ongoing web of referential
onus is on the researcher to clearly state the relationships. Constructs, thus, are the outcome
temporal scope conditions under which he or of a semantic network of conceptual connections
she assumes the construct to operate. to other prior constructs. Psychologists refer to
Constraints of value are more complex and this as the nomological network (Cronbach &
arguably more difficult to address. Constraints Meehl, 1955) and semioticians as the system of
of value refer to scope conditions of a theoretical signification (Saussure, 2000). While these two
construct that arise as a result of the assump- groups of researchers may not share much in
tions or world view of the researcher. So, for terms of epistemology, they both seem to under-
example, Pierce, Gardner, Cummings, and Dun- stand that theoretical constructs are suspended
ham (1989) note that most of the constructs de- in a complex web of references to and relation-
veloped by human resources theorists, such as ships with other constructs.
turnover, climate, and citizenship, tend to “priv- Part of the task in demonstrating construct
ilege” or adopt the point of view of the employee clarity, thus, is to draw out these relationships
and his or her role within the organization. in a fashion that the reader can understand.
These authors point out the implications of Describing the historical relationships between
these value assumptions and how they might the proposed new construct and the prior histor-
limit, theoretically, the depth of each construct. ical constructs on which it was built is a critical
They go on to suggest that researchers might component of the literature review of any theo-
correct for their “employee bias” by adopting a retical manuscript. Theorists need to “acknowl-
broader set of assumptions that are “anchored edge the stream of logic on which they are draw-
in an organizational frame of reference” (Pierce ing and to which they are contributing” (Sutton
et al., 1989: 624). & Staw, 1995: 372). Similarly, theorists also need
Because constructs are subject to conditions of to carefully describe the logical connections be-
value, researchers must make their best efforts tween the proposed new construct and other ex-
to explicate the hidden assumptions that they tant constructs, a process Bacharach (1989) sug-
bring to the theorization of a construct. As orga- gests is usually carried out in the form of
nizational theorists, we must adopt an ongoing propositions.
position of critical reflexivity about how our in- The key observation here is that the clarity of
dividual point of view, our often taken-for- a construct is only partly achieved by the preci-
granted assumptions, and our institutional biog- sion of its definition. The notion of clarity ex-
raphy might introduce bias and distortion into tends beyond this to include clarity in how the
how we conceptualize and abstract reality. theorist describes the complex relationships
In sum, clearly stating the scope conditions of that exist between constructs. One effective way
constructs contributes directly to building of addressing this is for the theorist to demon-
strong theory. Whetten (1989) summarizes this strate the historical lineage of a new construct
relationship neatly in his description of the four and position that construct on the horizon of
essential conditions of a strong theory. A theory extant related constructs.2010 Editor’s Comments 351
Constructs may be “relational” in a different ship to other constructs must all make sense.
sense, however. Some constructs are relational That is, they must all cohere or “hang to-
not just because they are derived from other gether” in a logically consistent manner. In
constructs but because they are embedded in part, the need for coherence derives from the
processes that involve other constructs. That is, inherently multidimensional nature of man-
some constructs are processual in nature be- agement research. Most of the constructs we
cause they are derived from process data (Lang- use are highly contextually sensitive, and over
ley, 1999). Constructs in process theory are qual- time constructs developed in management re-
itatively different from constructs derived from search tend to consist of a number of interre-
variance theory (Mohr, 1982). Process data are lated attributes or dimensions that may vary
inherently “messy,” in part because they are somewhat in different organizational contexts
collected in real time through direct observa- but still meaningfully capture a comprehen-
tions in the field (Langley, 1999). Constructs de- sive element of organizational experience. As
rived from processes, therefore, tend to be rela- a result, constructs often become multidimen-
tional inasmuch as they focus on events that are sional. That is, they describe abstract con-
multidimensional, temporally embedded, and cepts that are themselves composed of multi-
often spanning multiple levels of analysis (Lang- ple attributes.
ley, 1999; Van de Ven, 1992). So, for example, So, for example, organizational citizenship
some theorists have identified stories or narra- behavior (OCB) is a recognized construct that
tives as distinct constructs in process theory has been based on five distinct foundational
(Pentland, 1999). elements: civic virtue, sportsmanship, altru-
A critical question that arises when assessing ism, conscientiousness, and courtesy (Law,
the clarity of constructs used in process theory is Wong, & Mobley, 1998). Each of these founda-
what the tipping point is at which complex pro- tional elements is based on distinct measures
cess constructs should be broken down into and may vary somewhat across different or-
more concise theoretical units. Addressing this ganizational contexts in terms of its propor-
issue is difficult in that it illustrates, in part, how tionate contribution to the “umbrella con-
different epistemological assumptions produce struct” of OCB. However, the umbrella
different standards of construct clarity (dis- construct retains an overall coherence or con-
cussed in more detail below). Some general sistency that is more than the sum of its foun-
principles of construct clarity, however, may dational parts. Law et al. (1998) describe this
shed some insight here. Notwithstanding the internal coherence of the umbrella construct
complexity and multidimensionality of con- as a “latent model” and the summated ele-
structs used in process theory, authors should ments as an “aggregate model.” They also use
still strive to capture the essential characteris- the term profile model to describe the different
tics of phenomena with constructs that balance profiles that occur when the elements vary as
accuracy (comprehensiveness) with simplicity a result of different contextual conditions. The
(parsimony) and generality (Langley, 1999). Con- key element of their argument, however, is
structs derived from process theory might well the understanding that the core construct is
be more densely embedded in relation to other greater—that is, more resilient—than its foun-
constructs. The goal of the researcher, however, dational elements. This perhaps best illus-
should still be to strive for clarity, parsimony, trates the notion of coherence in that a true
and precision in capturing the essential ele- multidimensional construct demonstrates
ments of the construct and in mapping out the greater resilience than its component ele-
relationships between the focal construct and ments.
other constructs within which the focal construct Often, the issue presented by questions of co-
is embedded. herence is the ability of the theorist to use the
constructs to create logically consistent and the-
oretically integrated arguments. As Sutton and
Coherence
Staw (1995) have observed, theorists will regu-
A final component of construct clarity is the larly offer up complex schematics or intricate
notion that the construct, its definition, its process flow diagrams in lieu of coherence. The
scope conditions, its lineage, and its relation- diagrams are a good start, but ultimately, the352 Academy of Management Review July
power of coherence of such an assembly of con- search. I elaborate each of these points in the
structs can only be provided by a compelling balance of this section.
and coherent explanation.
Coherence is a difficult characteristic of con-
struct clarity to explain, in part because it re-
Clarity Facilitates Communication
veals the recursive or dialectical relationship
that exists between constructs and theory. That Construct clarity allows us to build on prior
is, in large part constructs gain their coherence, research by providing the research community
both internally and in relation to other con- with a common language. A common language
structs, as a result of the theory in which they is an essential prerequisite for a community of
are embedded. It is difficult to understand the scholars interested in the same or similar phe-
construct of legitimacy independent of one’s nomena to exchange ideas and build knowl-
knowledge of institutional theory (Suchman, edge. The ability to precisely articulate the key
1995). Kaplan calls this the “paradox of concep- elements that underpin an idea helps us to un-
tualization,” noting that “proper concepts are derstand the degree to which ideas overlap or
needed to formulate good theory, but we need a differ. Moreover, the advancement of theory and
good theory to arrive at proper concepts” (1964: knowledge relies on the ability of new research-
501). ers to build on the work of prior researchers. If
Coherence, thus, is a somewhat intuitive as- new and old researchers cannot agree on or
sessment of whether the various attributes of a communicate the basic elements of a phenome-
phenomenon are adequately contained within a non, the accumulation of knowledge cannot
construct—that is, do these attributes hang to- occur.
gether in a logical and empirically convincing The ability to precisely define the essence of
way? Is the construct plausible, given one’s ex- an abstraction in such a way that differentiates
perience in similar contexts (Weick, 1989)? Are it from other similar abstractions produces seri-
the relationships described or implied by the ous advantages for a scholarly community.
construct plausible? Does the construct make Foremost, it avoids the proliferation of different
sense? terms and labels for similar phenomena—a
Collectively, these four characteristics (defini- problem that is often colloquially described as
tions, scope conditions, relationships between putting “old wine in new bottles.” Truman
constructs, and coherence) capture the essential Kelley, one of the founders of the Stanford
elements of construct clarity. It is perhaps trite Achievement Test, called the proliferation of dif-
to note that the characteristics mutually rein- ferent labels for the same underlying construct
force each other. It is difficult, for example, to the “jangle fallacy.” Kelley (1927) observed that
demonstrate scope conditions without first pro- when researchers used different words—“intel-
viding a sound definition. Similarly, coherence ligence” or “achievement”—to describe the
is highly dependent on clearly stated scope con- same underlying construct of general intelli-
ditions. Construct clarity requires considerable gence, there was a tendency to start treating the
skill in crafting each of these essential terms as completely different constructs, even
elements. though the overlap in individual differences
that underpin the two terms was over 90 percent
(Lubinski, 2004).
When researchers use different terms for sim-
WHY DO WE NEED CONSTRUCT CLARITY?
ilar phenomena, it produces confusion—“con-
There are three main justifications for clear founding effects”—that impede the ability of
and concise constructs, each of which builds on members of a research community to communi-
the core idea that such clarity is critical to the cate with each other or to accumulate knowl-
accumulation of knowledge. First, clear con- edge. The creation of a common vocabulary
structs facilitate communication between schol- avoids the “Tower of Babel” effect, in which sub-
ars. Second, improved clarity of constructs en- communities of researchers have no common
hances researchers’ ability to empirically means of communication. In the absence of com-
explore phenomena. Third, clear constructs al- mon and well-articulated constructs, the bound-
low for greater creativity and innovation in re- aries between subcommunities become more2010 Editor’s Comments 353
sharply defined and organizational knowledge sence of empiricism is the ability to create clear
becomes increasingly fragmented. classifications of phenomena that structure ex-
Clear constructs can and should also extend perience into meaningful categories (Hacking,
the scope of knowledge beyond the academic 1975). Clear constructs are simply robust catego-
community to include practitioners. Manage- ries that organize experience. Moreover, clear
ment scholars have expressed considerable dis- constructs help researchers identify anomalies
may about the failure of academic research to or phenomena that defy categories and force
penetrate the practitioner community (Rynes, researchers to reevaluate their theories.
2007; Rynes, Bartunek, & Daft, 2001). In part, this
is the result of weakly articulated constructs or
Construct Clarity Enhances Creativity
constructs that are so narrowly defined they
lack relevance. Effective constructs, however, Clearly defined theoretical constructs serve a
can help immensely in bridging that gap. As creative heuristic purpose in the elaboration of
Astley and Zammuto note, it is at the abstract theory. Like metaphors, a well-crafted construct
level of ideational constructs “where much of can capture the essential elements or character-
the knowledge transfer between scientific and istics of a phenomenon and, simultaneously,
practitioner domains occurs” (1992: 444). An ef- highlight both its similarities to and differences
fective construct, thus, navigates a narrow path from related phenomena. Constructs are care-
between definitional accuracy and communica- fully articulated abstractions that, if effectively
ble generality—that is, it is precisely and ac- crafted, expand the range of phenomena and
curately constructed, but in a way that broad relationships they capture. Effective constructs,
audiences can understand and participate in thus, can enhance research creativity by “allow-
the process of empirical elaboration and ing managers to redefine problems in ways that
exploration. are more amenable to resolution” (Astley & Zam-
muto, 1992: 455). Constructs are conceptual
frames, and clear constructs expose a phenom-
Clarity Assists Empirical Analysis
enon to multiple perspectives.
Construct clarity aids in the empirical appli- A clear construct, thus, not only serves as a
cation of theory. For positivists, construct clarity useful means of description but can stimulate
helps them test theory, since precisely defined insights into additional possible relationships,
constructs are easier to operationalize and test related constructs, and often related theories.
(Schwab, 1980) and it is easier for researchers to Like a well-chosen metaphor, a carefully crafted
compare and contrast results (Bagozzi & Ed- construct is a powerful creative tool that en-
wards, 1998). For constructivists, construct clar- hances theory development.
ity is not intended to lead to precise operation-
alization and measurement but is still critical
HOW DOES CONSTRUCT CLARITY VARY?
(perhaps even more essential) for capturing and
communicating with precision the often subjective Thus far, I have presented the notion of con-
meaning and interpretation of an abstraction by struct clarity in a somewhat catholic fashion—
individual subjects. Berger and Luckmann, for that is, with an implicit assumption that its
example, argue that construct clarity helps con- importance and basic characteristics are uni-
structivist researchers avoid the positivist di- versally accepted across the various epistemo-
lemma of reification or “confusing its own con- logical and ontological regimes that comprise
ceptualizations with the laws of the universe” the Academy of Management scholars. Clearly,
(1967: 187). Similarly, the success of grounded that is not the case, and at various points in the
theory research lies, in large part, in the ability discussion above, I have made some effort to
of researchers to clearly identify and express foreshadow that, for example, positivists and
“concepts or constructs that are grounded in ac- social constructionists might hold different
tors’ meaning-in-use, rather than categories or views as to what might constitute a good defi-
constructs that are imposed by the researcher” nition. Indeed, the term construct itself is likely
(Bob Gephart, personal communication). to be contested by nonpositivists, based on the
In sum, careful description of phenomena is connotations of hypothesis testing and opera-
the fundament of empirical exploration. The es- tionalization typically associated with the term.354 Academy of Management Review July
For researchers using a constructivist perspec- disconfirm or build upon existing theories. . . . We
tive, concept might be a more acceptable value- argue that the classic case study approach has
been extremely powerful because these authors
neutral term. have described general phenomena so well that
Different traditions of research have very dif- others have little difficulty seeing the same phe-
ferent understandings of what construct clarity nomena in their own experience and research.
is and how constructs might best be used in We return to the classics because they are good
building theory. Let me illustrate through two stories, not because they are merely clear state-
ments of a construct. Indeed the very clarity of the
examples. The first comes from Eisenhardt’s constructs stems from the story that supports and
(1989) classic paper on how to use case studies demonstrates them (1991: 617).
to build theory. Here Eisenhardt adopts a very
positivist view of what constructs are and how On its surface, the debate between Eisenhardt
they should be used in building theory: and Dyer and Wilkins seems to reflect two op-
posing and irreconcilable epistemological posi-
A priori specification of constructs can also help
to shape the initial design of theory-building re- tions. On closer examination, however, they
search. Although this type of specification is not simply illustrate different assumptions regard-
common in theory-building studies to date, it is ing the role of constructs in the research process.
valuable because it permits researchers to mea- Eisenhardt (1989) sees constructs as lenses
sure constructs more accurately. If these con-
through which data can be analyzed in the the-
structs prove important as the study progresses,
then researchers have a firmer empirical ground- ory-building process. Dyer and Wilkins (1991)
ing for the emergent theory (1989: 536). see constructs as emerging from the data. Both,
however, seem to acknowledge the need for
Note that Eisenhardt sees constructs as essen- clear constructs; they simply differ on their role
tial to theory building but acknowledges that in the process of building theory.
the researcher will bring preexisting constructs In fact, Eisenhardt (1989) and Dyer and Wilkins
into the research to be “tested” through empiri- (1991) are assuming two distinct roles in an on-
cal application. Eisenhardt qualifies this posi- going dialectic or tension over theoretical con-
tion somewhat with an admonition to the re- structs that Hirsch and Levin (1999) describe as
searcher to keep an open mind about the the “umbrella advocates” versus the “validity
possibility of refining the construct in accor- police.” The term umbrella advocates refers to
dance with the data as the research progresses: those researchers who argue that constructs
Although early identification of the research should be viewed as large buckets or broad con-
question and possible constructs is helpful, it is cepts loosely defined because this better cap-
equally important to recognize that both are ten- tures the inherent complexity and messiness of
tative in this type of research. No construct is the empirical world we study. The term validity
guaranteed a place in the resultant theory, no
matter how well it is measured (1989: 536). police refers to those researchers who argue
that constructs should be small buckets nar-
Eisenhardt’s (1989) view of the role of con- rowly defined in order to bring more scientific
structs in theory building is not universally ac- rigor and validity to the study of organizations.
cepted and was subsequently challenged by re- Hirsch and Levin (1999) argue that the tension
searchers who thought that entering the field between these two regimes creates a distinct
with narrowly defined constructs would inter- life cycle for theoretical constructs in organiza-
fere with the researcher’s ability to create new tion studies, where umbrella advocates first
constructs or enrich our understanding of exist- introduce a new construct, which then succumbs
ing ones. Drawing from a research tradition that to demands from the validity police to “clean up
encourages more creativity and flexibility in the the concept” (for a recent example of this stage,
research process and one that might adopt the see Briner, Denyer, & Rousseau, 2009). In some
term concept in place of construct, in their re- instances constructs become so clearly defined,
joinder to Eisenhardt, Dyer and Wilkins suggest measurable, and operationalized over time that
that researchers ought to aim for “good stories” they lose relevance with the empirical world
rather than “good constructs”: and, ultimately, reappear under a different
Eisenhardt’s approach [is] to start with . . . con- name. Hirsch and Levin (1999) illustrate this phe-
structs and measurement instruments. Such an nomenon through an analysis of the emergence,
approach leads the case researcher to confirm, clarification, and disappearance of the theoret-2010 Editor’s Comments 355
ical construct “organizational effectiveness.” lined in this essay still applies. Phenomenolo-
Hirsch and Levin (1999) remind us that this gists may not agree with the notion that con-
construct was itself a replacement for a prior structs must be made measureable, but they
similar construct called “organizational would not argue with the notion that the con-
performance.” cepts they derive from their research must be
In contrast to the evident disagreement in the communicated clearly, with appropriate limit-
debate between Eisenhardt (1989) and Dyer and ing conditions and assumptions and with some
Wilkins (1991) about the proper role of theoreti- explanation of how these concepts fit in relation
cal constructs, Hirsch and Levin argue that this to other concepts used in similar research. Sim-
tension between broad and narrow interpreta- ilarly, while a researcher using grounded theory
tions of constructs is not only healthy but is might be striving for novel insights from his or
necessary for the advancement of knowledge: her data, when writing his or her theory, the
researcher must still bear the burden of demon-
Though each of us may have his or her own lean-
ings, the field as a whole probably needs both
strating how his or her insights fit on the horizon
broad (umbrella) and narrow (policing) perspec- of prior knowledge of the subject under study,
tives, for this dialectic can be useful for under- even those drawn from other research traditions.
standing and explaining the underlying issues of
organizational life. This struggle thus enables
the field as a whole to balance its competing WHY WE NEED AN ONGOING
needs to be both scientific and relevant (1999: CONVERSATION ABOUT THEORETICAL
209). CONSTRUCTS IN ORGANIZATION STUDIES
The standards for the meaning and use of con- I have tried to demonstrate how construct clar-
structs, thus, appear to vary considerably across ity lies at the heart of theory building. Clearly
different research traditions, epistemologies, defined conceptual categories encourage re-
and ontological positions within organization searchers to generate more effective research
studies. questions, apply appropriate and epistemologi-
While different research traditions may have cally consistent methods, and identify excep-
different interpretations of how constructs are tions to the categories that open opportunities
constituted and how they should be used in re- for future research. All of this serves to
search, the need for clarity and precision in the strengthen our understanding of phenomena.
description of constructs remains intact. For pos- Construct clarity also aids in the communica-
itivists, precise language is necessary to cap- tion and accumulation of knowledge. Clear con-
ture, as effectively as possible, the essence of ceptual categories can help overcome fragmen-
the subject matter under study. The challenge is tation in the field, make our research relevant to
to use language to create constructs that accu- broader audiences, and enhance the legitimacy
rately represent reality. For nonpositivists, pre- of management as a research discipline.
cise language is equally important, not to cap- What surprises me is how unusually mute our
ture reality or to enable the measurement of discipline seems to be on so important a subject.
constructs but, rather, to recognize that linguis- While management journals devote some space
tic constructs are themselves the embodiment of to discussions of constructs and their role in
knowledge (Gergen, 1982). As Astley observes, theory development (i.e., Astley & Zammuto,
for nonpositivists, “Language is not simply a 1992; Hirsch & Levin, 1999; Preim & Butler, 2001),
vehicle for transmitting information. Rather it is the coverage seems disproportionate to the im-
the very embodiment of truth. . . . Scientific portance of the topic. This anomaly is reflected,
fields are word systems created and maintained somewhat, in how we train graduate students,
through a process of negotiation between adher- where considerable time is devoted to under-
ents to alternative theoretical languages” (1985: standinghowconstructsaremeasuredandopera-
499). tionalized but substantially less time is devoted
So, while the interpretation of what a con- to understanding how constructs are created
struct means might vary across subdisciplines and used in the research process.
of organizational research, I believe that the One clear conclusion from this essay is that
requirement for clarity of description as well as construct clarity is highly dependent on a theo-
the four key elements of construct clarity out- rist’s facility with language. Good constructs ef-356 Academy of Management Review July
fectively balance some competing (if not contra- Design and analysis issues for field setting. Chicago:
dictory) tensions. So, for example, constructs Rand McNally.
must strip away surplus meaning but not be Cronbach, L. J., & Meehl, P. E. 1955. Construct validity in
made too narrow. Constructs should offer clear psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52: 281–302.
boundaries and scope conditions but also be Dubin, R. 1969. Theory building. New York: Free Press.
sufficiently “linguistically ambiguous” to spark Dyer, W. G., & Wilkins, A. L. 1991. Better stories, not better
new connotative relationships. These are no constructs, to generate better theory: A rejoinder to
small tasks, even for those trained in the skillful Eisenhardt. Academy of Management Review, 16: 613–
use of language. Yet even though we under- 619.
stand that language matters to effective theory Eisenhardt, K. 1989. Building theory from case study re-
development in the same way it matters to phi- search. Academy of Management Review, 14: 532–550.
losophy (Hacking, 1975), we devote considerably Empson, W. 1995. (First published in 1951.) The structure of
less time to training new researchers in under- complex words. London: Penguin Books.
standing the nuances of language than we do to Floyd, S. W. 2009. Borrowing theory: What does this mean
understanding the nuances of statistical mea- and when does it make sense in management scholar-
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simply reflect the ongoing fragmentation of our Gergen, K. J. 1982. Toward transformation in social knowl-
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help aspiring theorists understand how to more Gibson, C. B., & Zellmer-Bruhn, M. E. 2001. Metaphors and
effectively develop constructs but will also re- meaning: An intercultural analysis of the concept of
teamwork. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46: 274 –
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303.
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niques for improving their clarity, increasing
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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