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amj-theory-development

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Use when the theoretical argument and hypotheses are the bottleneck for an Academy of Management Journal (AMJ) manuscript — building a mechanism and deriving testable hypotheses a priori. Constructs the theory; it does not run the analysis (amj-data-analysis) or write the final contribution paragraph (amj-contribution-framing).

Academy-of-Management-Journal-Skills/skills/amj-theory-development/SKILL.md

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# Theory Development & Hypotheses (amj-theory-development)

## When to trigger

- Hypotheses read as bald predictions ("A is positively related to B") with no mechanism
- You have results and are tempted to write hypotheses around them (HARKing risk)
- The argument leans on one borrowed citation rather than a developed logic
- Mediators/moderators are present in the data but not theorized
- A reviewer says "the theory is thin," "the logic is underdeveloped," or "why would this be true?"

## The AMJ theory bar

AMJ does not publish atheoretical work — its mission is "to publish empirical research that tests, extends, or builds management theory." Every hypothesis must be **derived from an articulated theoretical mechanism**, written *before* the results are known. The argument should make a reader feel they understand *why* the effect occurs and *under what conditions* it strengthens or reverses.
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