Conducting and Presenting Grounded Theory Research

Qualitative research can be conducted to build theory from field data. The Discovery of Grounded Theory by Glaser and Strauss (1967) remains the fundamental handbook of this approach. SCM journals have recently seen a series of articles advocating for the use of grounded theory, e.g., Mello and Flint (2009, JBL) and Kaufmann and Denk (2011, JSCM). Therefore, I would like to draw attention to three helpful papers. First, Suddaby (2006), offers “a reasonable assessment of common errors researchers make in conducting and presenting grounded theory research”. Herein, he discusses six common misconceptions of what grounded theory is not. Second, O’Reilly et al. (2012) “demystify the key tenets of [grounded theory]”, “discuss the problematic impacts of adopting an a la carte approach to [grounded theory]”, “draw attention to [grounded theory] as a rigorous method”, and, again, “advocate for the increased use of [grounded theory]”. Third, Manuj and Pohlen (2012) “provide a framework to assist reviewers in evaluating grounded theory research”.