CLF Workshop I with Dr Omar Solinger (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Theory Building Workshop I: Defining and Conceptualizing Constructs

Abstract

Theory and theory development are seen as crucial to making meaningful academic contributions to bodies of knowledge in management and organisational research. Despite its prominence, the constituent processes around theorizing are often left implicit, and not typically discussed or taught in doctoral training programmes. The two proposed workshops on “Defining and conceptualizing constructs” and “Combining perspectives to build theory” tries to address this very point; participants will through a series of key insights, in-class exercises in these aspects of theory building develop skills in these crucial aspects of theory development.

About the Speaker

Dr. Omar N. Solinger is Associate Professor of HRM & OB as part of the department of Management and Organization. His research of the past years mainly focuses on leadership/followership and commitment, and in changing contexts, such as voluntary change (e.g., entering or leaving organizations; developing a leader-follower relationship) and involuntary change (disruptive events, organizational change). His work has been published in top-tier international Management journals such as Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Organizational Research Methods, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Organizational Behavior. He is also active on editorial boards of some of these journals and Associate Editor at Journal of Organizational Behavior. Omar is the originator and Msc. Leadership and Change Management (master specialization) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and teaches a doctoral course on Theory Development in Business and Management for Ph.D. students and young faculty. He also mentors many Ph.D students and young faculty at the VU.