Prescriptive Theorizing to Tackle Societal Grand Challenges: Promises and Perils
Journal of Management Studies · 2024 · Volume 61 · Issue 4
Abstract
Descriptive and prescriptive theorizing are two sides of the same coin and fundamentally complementary, if not reciprocal in their relationship. Both have a place in management theorizing, yet thisPoint-Counterpointdebate takes issue with how they are currently performed in research. ThePointmakes the case for prescriptive theorizing to help tackle societal grand challenges and meaningfully impact practice, and it offers a recipe for doing this on a solid normative foundation. TheCounterpointcautions against the impact that such prescriptions may have and calls for more contextualized approaches. In this introduction to the debate, I intend to take the conversation that both thePointandCounterpointhave provoked even further by highlighting some under-emphasized but important theoretical avenues to examine the (un)intended consequences of both prescriptive and descriptive theorizing; namely by mobilizing research on performativity and counter-performativity.
Keywords
prescriptive theorizing, descriptive theorizing, societal grand challenges, management theory, practical impact, performativity
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