Prospective Theorizing: Researching for Social Impact

Abstract

Prospection—defined here as the mental representation and evaluation of possible futures—offers scholars a powerful new approach to researching with social impact. In this paper, we begin by reviewing the strengths and limitations of the kind of theory building long favored by the Academy. We do so to understand why management scholarship is perceived as falling short in terms of its relevance and social impact. We invite management scholars to re-examine what determines a theory’s assessed value in the face of social and global challenges distinguished by emergent complexity (Funtowicz & Ravetz 1994; Scharmer & Käufer, 2010). The advantages of prospective theorizing are presented in two variants: projective and envisioned. The first embraces prospection within the current bounds and editorial practices of the Academy. When viewed through a quantum lens, the second proposes a radically new approach to theory building. It contends that quantum science is giving powerful impetus and renewed legitimacy to the idea that prospective theorizing calls forth a reality rather than objectively studying a world “out there”. Such theorizing is not only about advancing knowledge about what exists. In a very real sense, it has agency to create the future it studies. We conclude with an inquiry into what it means for management research aimed at tackling wicked problems such as climate change and social justice.