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Table of contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Why Do PhD Students Lack Theoretical contribution? ........................................................................... 3
What are the important elements of theory each PhD student should know before even thinking of
writing a proposal or thesis?................................................................................................................... 4

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Introduction
This article has two sections. The first section outlines some of the reasons why PhD students do not
make important theoretical contributions. This is important to understand as a student as theory is
at the centre of academics. Being aware of the limitations broadens the scope for finding ways to
make the contribution.

The second part is a template of the important elements that constitute theory. These are expected
in any theory. For PhD students, this is a must know. Without that understanding it is impossible to
write a successful proposal, thesis, or journal paper.

Why Do PhD Students Lack Theoretical contribution?

There is marked dearth in theoretical contribution by PhD students in the business management and
other domains. Some of the reasons for this concerning situation can be attributed to at least some
of the following reasons. PhD students need to appreciate these so that they have a new way of
looking at theoretical contribution.

In any case, making a theoretical contribution is the whole essence of a doctorate. The success of a
PhD student lies in making a theoretical contribution. The following reasons may be responsible for
poor theoretical contribution by students:

a) Lack of modules that teach theoretical contribution

Unlike other areas of the PhD, for example, research design, literature review and methodology,
theoretical contribution does not have modules that teach students how to make a theoretical
contribution. A few articles have been written to describe what theory is and what it is not but a
“how to” clarification has been missing. This is a serious omission in our scholarship.

b) The supervisors/advisors as role models

Because of the limitation outlined in (a) above, some supervisors have also not been taught what
theory is and how to make a theoretical contribution. These may be more focused on making
empirical contributions. This problem has been taken from one generation to the next. A supervisor
who has not been taught how to make a theoretical contribution will not be able to help students
make the contribution.

c) Lack of incentives for theoretical contribution

Due to the shrinking opportunities on the job market, there is a tendency for PhD students to go
where the money is in terms of research projects. Some sponsors may have a focus on empirical
rather than theoretical contribution. This problem has been exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic.

d) Ambiguity on what theory is and what it is not

Making a theoretical contribution calls for a precise understanding of the concept of theory.
However, the definition of theory is far from ending. This has clouded the idea of what constitutes
theory. It is therefore necessary that students want to fully engage in these debates and have an
appreciation of the various positions for them to even consider making a theoretical contribution.
There is no need however, to engage in these debates for philosophical endless arguments but
rather to join the discussion to make a theoretical contribution. Scholars do not always agree on this
so my advice is to choose a position and stay with it. Scholarship is all about choosing a community
to join. There are so many tribes.

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 e) Misconceptions about expected magnitude of theoretical contribution

There is also a misconception that grand theorising is the only form of theoretical contribution. For
that reason, students are hamstrung and therefore do not even attempt to make a theoretical
contribution. Thinking of theoretical contribution as grand theory tends to overwhelm students. You
want to think of theoretical contribution as small bite sized bites.

What are the important elements of theory each PhD student should
know before even thinking of writing a proposal or thesis?
1) The “What” Element of Theory

Any theory has some building blocks that make up the structure. The factors that are included as
inputs in the theory include constructs, variables, and concepts. A detailed elaboration of each of
these is beyond the scope of this template. The purpose of this template is to point students to the
essential elements of theory that they need to include in building theory.

However, what is important to note here are two important conditions for including constructs,
variables, and concepts. These are parsimony and comprehensiveness. Parsimony refers to
elimination of all the factors that do not add value to the new theory while comprehensiveness
speaks to the idea that all the important factors must be included. It is, therefore, clear that
balancing these two criteria is arguably the key determinant of excellent theory building.

2) The “How” Element of Theory

Once all the factors have been identified, it is necessary to determine how they are related. This
could possibly be done by way of arrows and boxes in variance research, while arrows and text only
may be used in process research. In variance research, the links demonstrate the causal nature of
theory. When viewed together, the ‘’What’’ and ‘’How’’ elements constitute the subject or domain
of the theory.

3) The ‘’Why’’ Element of Theory

The ‘’why’’ element speaks to the justification for selection of specific factors and the argument why
the claimed relationships exist. It is therefore the key distinguishing element between theory and
other forms of writing. Theory answers the question of why factors relate, instead of simply stating
the factors or presenting that there are existing relationships between constructs or variables. Here
lies the biggest misconception about theory building! Presenting data to support relationships is not
enough contribution to theory. Theoretical contribution is when logic replaces data as basis for
evaluation. These explaining mechanisms could be social, economic, or psychological dynamics. The
justifications must be logical. Here, scholars are called to use their imagination and critical thinking
as the causal mechanisms may not be apparent to the undiscerning mind. Much of theory building
work should be devoted to the dynamic mechanisms explaining relationships.

Hypotheses and propositions may be used to state the relationships in a concise way.

4) The ‘’Who; Where; When” Element of Theory

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These questions focus on the boundary conditions of theory. It is unlikely that a theory will have
universal generalisability. A theory may be applicable in one context and not applicable in a different
context. As a result of this, it is necessary that theorists highlight the limitations of their studies. The
boundary conditions provide solid basis for articulating the limitations. For inductively produced
theory, the demand for static this limitation is even bigger. Related to that, inductive research needs
to provide a detailed account of the context so that those who apply the theory in practice realise
the need to see if the context is similar. Although inductive research is theoretically generalisable, it
is not always generalisable over time and in different locations. It is therefore essential that
boundary conditions be clear.

Conclusion

This article has identified several reasons why PhD students are not making significant contribution
to theory. It is proffered that lack of courses that tackle theoretical contribution is the leading
reason. Other possible reasons could be related to ambiguity regarding the definition of theory, poor
incentives, and lack of role models to learn from.

For students to be able to make compelling original theoretical contribution, they need to
understand the important elements of a good theory. A good theory should have for important
elements namely factors, relationships, explanations, and boundary conditions. A detailed
understanding of these elements is necessary for academics to push boundaries of the body of
knowledge.