How to move from observation to concept to theory — and how to tell which one you’re actually doing. Curated from the HRD and leadership methodology literature.
First: is it a concept, a model, or a theory?
A frequent reviewer critique is that an article claims “theory” while delivering a concept or model. Locate your contribution before you write it.
| Output | What it does | Anchor reference |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | Names and defines a phenomenon | Lee (2025) |
| Model | Specifies relationships among concepts | Rocco, Plakhotnik, & Silberman (2022) |
| Mid-range theory | Explains how/why within a bounded domain | Seo, Noh, & Ardichvili (2019) |
| Grand theory | Broad, cross-domain explanation | Lee (2025) |
Core reading list (annotated)
What counts as theory
- Lee (2025) — “So what is theory?” — a 4-outcome continuum (concept → model → mid-range → grand). The orienting piece.
- Seo, Noh, & Ardichvili (2019) — HRD theory maturity assessed across 668 articles.
- Rocco, Plakhotnik, & Silberman (2022) — distinguishing conceptual from theory articles.
Building and tracing theory
- Turner et al. (2018) — the theoretical literature review: tracing a theory’s verified and falsified propositions.
- Jabarkhail (2023) — theorizing HRD practices in extended/non-traditional contexts.
- Kuchinke (2023) — a three-criteria framework for selecting supporting literature.
Actionable & computational theory
- Dietz (2026) — the actionable-theory typology (Manipulate / Select / Observe); building manipulable causes.
- Kuljanin et al. (2024) — computational process theories: formalizing mechanisms as code.
A practical sequence
- Locate your contribution on the concept→theory continuum (Lee 2025).
- Check the genre — conceptual or theory? (Rocco et al. 2022).
- Trace the lineage — what’s verified/falsified? (Turner et al. 2018).
- Make it actionable — can the causes be manipulated or selected? (Dietz 2026).
Sources: HRDR “Research Methodology and Theory Building” cluster; Leadership “Causal Inference & Methodology” cluster.
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References
Dietz, J. (2026). Building actionable theories: The role of causal constructs. The Leadership Quarterly, 37, 101929.
Jabarkhail, S. (2023). The state of theorizing human resource development (HRD) in extended context: A review. Human Resource Development Review, 22(3), 451–469.
Kuchinke, K. P. (2023). Phenomenology and human resource development: Philosophical foundations and implications for research. Human Resource Development Review, 22(1), 36–58.
Kuljanin, G., Braun, M. T., Grand, J. A., Olenick, J. D., Chao, G. T., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2024). Advancing organizational science with computational process theories. The Leadership Quarterly, 35.
Lee, J. (2025). So, what is theory? Human Resource Development Review, 24(2), 225–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843241313150
Rocco, T. S., Plakhotnik, M. S., & Silberman, D. (2022). Differentiating between conceptual and theory articles: Focus, goals, and approaches. Human Resource Development Review, 21(1), 113–140.
Seo, J., Noh, K. B., & Ardichvili, A. (2019). Theory building and testing in human resource development: Current advancements and future directions. Human Resource Development Review, 18(4), 411–436.
Turner, J. R., Baker, R., & Kellner, F. (2018). Theoretical literature review: Tracing the life cycle of a theory and its verified and falsified statements. Human Resource Development Review, 17(1), 34–61.