Organizations and Markets

Conceptual and Theoretical

| Nicolai Foss |

A few days ago Peter drew attention to the misuse in many academic papers of the word “methodology” (which is too often used when authors really mean “method”).

My personal pet peeve is the misuse of the word “conceptual,” particularly by management scholars. What is usually meant is “theoretical” (in fact, the word is often used in a derogatory manner — “Ah, Prof. NN, well, he mainly [meaning ‘merely’] does conceptual work” — something I once overheard being said of myself (in spite of several recent empirical papers — grrrr …. )). 

Of course, management scholars are sometimes taken up with analyzing concepts per se — such as discussing alternative notions of competitive advantage — but usually conceptul analysis is the business of philosophers, and few management scholars publish in Metaphysica and similar places. (However, those management scholars who in fact do wish to undertake “conceptual work” may be interested in this newly started journal).

14 April 2007 at 10:44 am Nicolai Foss 5 comments