On the shoulders of giants? Motives to cite in management research

Abstract

While citations have been established as a scientific norm used to support assertions and to acknowledge the contribution of past authors, research has widely shown that they are often employed for other motives, such as influencing reviewers, increasing citation rates, showing erudition, etc. Despite the literature that has accumulated on this topic, a general framework inventorying these motives is still lacking. The objective of this methodological paper is thus to offer such a framework. We propose a typology that classifies these motives into four categories: epistemic, rhetoric, symbolic and economic. Through examples drawn from management research, we then present each of the associated citation practices by distinguishing between their nature and their consequences. We finally inventory the subsequent implications of this analysis, both for scientific production and for the evaluation of this production.

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