Theory Development & Hypotheses (amj-theory-development)

When to trigger

• Hypotheses read as bald predictions ("A is positively related to B") with no mechanism
• You have results and are tempted to write hypotheses around them (HARKing risk)
• The argument leans on one borrowed citation rather than a developed logic
• Mediators/moderators are present in the data but not theorized
• A reviewer says "the theory is thin," "the logic is underdeveloped," or "why would this be true?"

The AMJ theory bar

AMJ does not publish atheoretical work — its mission is "to publish empirical research that tests, extends, or builds management theory." Every hypothesis must be derived from an articulated theoretical mechanism, written before the results are known. The argument should make a reader feel they understand why the effect occurs and under what conditions it strengthens or reverses.

For theory-building (typically qualitative) papers, AMJ does not expect a priori hypotheses; it expects a grounded model with emergent propositions. Eisenhardt and Graebner's AMJ guidance on building theory from cases is the canonical exemplar for how rich data become crisp constructs and propositions — do not force such a study into a hypothetico-deductive template.

Building a hypothesis (the mechanism chain)

For each hypothesis, write the explicit chain — do not skip steps: