管理学理论构建、继承与发扬之道——来自西方经典著作和论文的质性考察

The Construction,Succession and Development Rule of Management Theory:A Qualitative Analysis of Western Classical Books and Papers

文章选取西方管理学中的经典著作、理论体系和获奖论文为质性资料,基于建构主义的扎根理论的编码分析方法,探究管理学理论的生成、扩散与消亡机制。分析表明,管理学理论的构建是一个以解决实践难题为导向、著书或立文为渠道、学术社区扩散为延伸、后续研究为依托的动态成长过程。同时,研究发现,理论的构建、继承与发扬之道是理论开启、理论腾飞、理论震荡、理论持续和理论衰落的五步走路线。通过自我联想、观察思考、参与管理和阅历反思等,在与实践的接洽中,批判现有思维的学者开启理论构建之路;依赖于新颖观点、新鲜概念和新奇视角,理论迅速引人注目,获得初始成功;在与现有可替代理论、情境适用性等质疑的角力和较量中,理论逐渐说服他人,建立自身的合法化地位;关注基本问题、面向广大群体,使得理论应用广泛,也进而风生水起,产生可持续影响;受制于时代变迁、人性改变、情境转移和自身认知局限,理论跌入低谷,并走向衰退和衰落。理论成长之道的五步走路线,构成了理论发展的一般规律,有助于指导中国本土化管理理论的构建。

Based on the qualitative data of classical books,theoretical system and papers from western management field,the current paper investigates the construction,diffusion and disappearing rule of management theory by employing the coding method from grounded theory. The result shows that,the construction of management theory is a series of process,including orientation of management problem,writing books or publishing papers,diffusion through academic community,and later research. Analysis shows that,the construction,succession and development rule of management theory contains five processes： theory initiating,theory climbing,theory pondering,theory flourishing and theory declining. Theory initiates by denying and criticizing existing perspectives,and then goes on climbing to a higher level with the help of novelty and first-round audience. Based on this,theory is legiti-mized by fighting with alternative ideas,contextual adaptation and basic human assumption. With these,the theory flourishes to its top because of its concern for fundamental problems and human beings. Lastly,the theory dies away from the constraint of inherent limitation,change of human nature and social culture.