2Foundations and Definitions of Theory Building
THE PURPOSE OF THIS CHAPTER is to establish the foundations and definitions of theory building in applied disciplines. Specifically, this chapter will
• present definitions of theory,
• describe the differences between theories and models,
• summarize philosophical orientations in theory building,
• discuss research paradigm approaches to theory building
• distinguish between types of theories,
• identify existing foundation work on theory building,
• discuss theory frameworks, and
• present general criteria for judging the quality of theories.
The information in this chapter is necessary and relevant for theory development research. While each of the chapter’s major sections could comprise a book, ...
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