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Niklas Lars Hallberg

Senior lecturer

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Changing assumptions and progressive change in theories of strategic organization

Author

  • Nicolai J. Foss
  • Niklas Lars Hallberg

Summary, in English

A commonly held view is that strategic organization theories progress as a result of a Popperian process of bold conjectures and systematic refutations. However, our field also witnesses vibrant debates or disputes about the specific assumptions that our theories rely on, and although these debates are often decoupled from the results of empirical testing, changes in assumptions seem closely intertwined with theoretical progress. Using the case of the resource-based view, we suggest that progressive change in theories of strategic organization may come about as a result of scholarly debate and dispute over what constitute proper assumptions—even in the absence of corroborating or falsifying empirical evidence. We also discuss how changing assumptions may drive future progress in the resource-based view.

Department/s

  • Department of Business Administration

Publishing year

2017

Language

English

Pages

410-422

Publication/Series

Strategic Organization

Volume

15

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • capabilities
  • dynamic capabilities
  • firm performance
  • industrial economics
  • strategy content
  • resource-based view

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1476-1270