Abstract
Middle range theorizing has been proposed as an efficient means by which sets of hypotheses can be integrated and synthesized into submolar theory, such that the hypotheses are grounded in empirical confirmation while lending themselves to a higher-order theoretical abstraction. This approach can be construed as an epistomological strategy of moderation or middle ground, on a continuum of abstraction above organized descriptive data but beneath comprehensive theories that attempt to explain large-scale social phenomena. According to Merton (1967), middle range theories consist of limited sets of assumptions from which specific hypotheses are logically derived and confirmed by empirical investigation. Advocates of middle range theories (Merton, 1967; Weick, 1974) have outlined three particular characteristics of these theories that are of special concern to this paper. First, middle range theory involves abstractions, but these abstractions are close enough to observed data to be incorporated in propositions that permit empirical testing. Secondly, a given theory of the middle range having a measure of empirical confirmation can often be subsumed under comprehensive theories, which are themselves discrepant in certain respects. Thirdly, an effective strategy of scientific inquiry is to develop theories of the middle range and consolidate them periodically. The focus of this paper is on the applicability of middle range theorizing to the construct of organizational effectiveness, a construct that has met with limited success when conceptualized via traditional modes of analysis, and accordingly may be more profitably studied through the use of middle range theories.
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© 1980 Martinus Nijhoff Publishing
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Muchinsky, P.M., Morrow, P.C. (1980). The Applicability of Middle Range Theories to the Study of Organizational Effectiveness. In: Pinder, C.C., Moore, L.F. (eds) Middle Range Theory and the Study of Organizations. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8733-3_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8733-3_25
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