Individual skill
smj-theory-development
Use when building the theoretical mechanism and hypotheses for a Strategic Management Journal (SMJ) manuscript. Constructs the argument and develops hypotheses; it does not position the literature or run estimation.
Strategic-Management-Journal-Skills/skills/smj-theory-development/SKILL.md
Source commit 932eb23331721b16e967c59f093781be1928b498
What was checked
- Matches the observed repository HEAD
- Yes
- Scanner rules are current
- No
- Repository scan complete
- No
- Skill scan complete
- Yes
- Observed behavior
- Not checked yet
- Last checked
- Nov 9, 2026
These are observations at the recorded commit, not a guarantee of safety. Review the source before running it.
Install this skill
Choose an agent in your Stack or copy a command below. Commands fetch the pinned commit and copy only this skill directory. Existing destinations are refused. Copying a command does not install anything.
An install command is unavailable: current rules, complete repository and skill scans, an eligible behavior level and a permitted license are required.
Repository context
- Repository stars (not skill ratings)
- 1,411
- Repository last updated
- Sep 27, 2026
- License
- MIT
Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.
- academic-writing Repository topic
- agent-skills Repository topic
- journal Repository topic
- academic-research Repository topic
- ai-agents Repository topic
- anthropic Repository topic
- awesome-list Repository topic
- claude Repository topic
- claude-code Repository topic
- economics Repository topic
- research Derived category
Files and excerpt
File metadata and permitted, redacted excerpts come from the recorded scan. Source links are pinned to that commit.
Browse files
SKILL.mdcore · 5,651 bytes
Read excerpt
# Theory Development & Hypotheses (smj-theory-development)
## When to trigger
- Your hypotheses read as signed predictions ("X is positively related to Y") with no logical engine
- The theory section restates prior findings instead of building a new argument
- A moderator is added but you cannot explain *why* it changes the effect
- The mechanism connecting strategic choice to performance is implicit or hand-waved
## What SMJ means by "theory"
SMJ wants a **causal logic**: a chain of premises that explains *why* a strategic choice or condition produces a performance/advantage consequence, anchored in a recognized strategy perspective. A hypothesis without a stated mechanism is a correlation in disguise. The reviewers expect you to show the logical steps, not just the conclusion.
## Choosing and combining lenses