What is Substantive Theory

This chapter provides a brief introduction to the grounded theory (GT) approach to research, discussing how it has been used in information systems (IS) research, and how GT studies may be conducted to provide a significant theoretical contribution to the management information systems (MIS) field. The subject is of particular interest at a time when GT attracts frequent criticism for a lack of rigor. This chapter deals with what makes for a rigorous contribution to “grounded” theory in MIS. It addresses developments and controversies in the generation of grounded theories, examining the use of GT as a coding method vs. the use of GT as a method for generating theory. The discussion focuses mainly on the constructivist/interpretive perspective adopted in most qualitative data studies, as this is the way in which GT has been used most often in MIS. The chapter concludes with a roadmap for the use of GT in MIS research and a discussion of the contribution made by GT studies in MIS.