Approaching the Conceptual Leap in Qualitative Research

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on an important but mysterious phenomenon in qualitative research methodology: the conceptual leap that generates abstract theoretical ideas from empirical data. Drawing on epistemological, prescriptive and reflexive writings, conceptual leaps are described as constituted by both 'seeing' and 'articulating', as grounded in abductive reasoning, and as part of an ongoing dialectical process. Methods for approaching conceptual leaps and the conditions for their realization are discussed in the context of four dialectic tensions: between deliberation and serendipity, between engagement and detachment, between knowing and not knowing, and between self-expression and social connection. The literature review suggests that conceptual leaping is best portrayed as a form of bricolage, drawing resources from the different poles of the four dialectics. Moreover, written and verbal communication play important roles in enabling synthesis. The paper concludes by calling for greater openness and legitimacy for reflexive accounts, as well as further research into the process of discovery in qualitative research.The authors would like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on an earlier version of this paper. The authors are also grateful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for its financial support.

Managing in conflict: How actors distribute conflict in an industrial network

“…The cases qualify as such by providing instances that reflect the conceptual qualities discussed above (Sigglekow, 2007;Klag & Langley, 2013). Each captures a conflict of interest, drawn out as clusters, often series, of events as described by two or more interviewees from across the industry.…”

Path dependence and the stabilization of strategic premises: how the funeral industry buries itself

“…Because path dependence is a phenomenon that spans multiple levels of analysis, interviewing experts appeared to be particularly promising for generating rich insights (Klein et al 1994;Koch 2011;Sydow et al 2012b;Durand 2010, 2011). Therefore, I conducted semi-structured interviews with central experts on the funeral industry in Berlin (Klag and Langley 2013). The selection of interviewees did not follow guidelines for statistical sampling procedures.…”

Guidelines for Qualitative Research in Organization Studies: Controversy and Possibilities

“…In a rather dialectical turn, Eisenhardt (1989) claims that this juxtaposition forces researchers to be creative and to come up with frame-breaking arguments, which would be unachievable with data alone, or without a theoretical counterpoint or an antithesis. Authors such as Klag and Langley (2013) call this a "theoretical leap", and highlight the strongly dialectical aspect of it.…”

“…Klag and Langley (2013), for example, characterize this dialectical process of discovery as embedded in "four dialectic tensions: between deliberation and serendipity, between engagement and detachment, between knowing and not knowing, and between self-expression and social connection" (p. 149).…”