Some of the most influential works in our field have been conceptual – i.e., “theory-only” – studies, published for instance in the Academy of Management Review (AMR). Designing and carving out conceptual papers is also one of the most fundamental and enriching elements of scholarly work in the social sciences. However, conceptual papers are different in design from empirical studies, they have other, challenging, objectives, structures, and quality criteria. As such, some perceive the pursuit of conceptual work as “risky.” In fact, mentors and committees sometimes advise emerging scholars to avoid purely conceptual work or at least to wait with submissions to journals such as AMR until later phases of their careers.

This seminar-workshop series aims to raise excitement for conceptual scholarly work, to provide participants with a set of essential tools for significant conceptual contributions to management and organization research, and to develop participants’ ideas for a conceptual study into a paper draft. The module is inherently also interesting for anyone interested in improving their theoretical work within empirical studies. In particular, we address four questions or challenges:

• What provides a significant conceptual contribution in our fields of research? Which types of contributions exist and how do they differ?
• How do we identify and develop interesting and significant conceptual insights to management theory?
• How do we write up conceptual work in a way that appeals to international audiences in highly regarded outlets such as Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Strategic Management Journal?
• What are the unique challenges in presenting conceptual research at scholarly conferences such that it attracts the attention of potential collaborators and journal editors?