Content
Prof. Rebecca Piekkari (Aalto University School of Business)
- Date: calender week 10, 2026
- Time: tbc
- Location: tbc
- Title: Thinking comparatively: Advancing theory through ‘thick’ comparative designs in qualitative management research
- Abstract: Comparison is a fundamental form of scientific reasoning but it is rarely discussed in these terms in management research. A narrow range of comparative designs are used in qualitative management research, potentially limiting the theoretical advances that can be made. We introduce an alternative approach to comparisons – ‘thick comparisons’ – and identify possible research designs for these kinds of studies. We argue that this is a missed opportunity for theorizing and propose a new agenda for the use of comparative reasoning in qualitative management research. We problematize the nature of comparisons and critique the dominant logic of comparison in management. Our alternative logic of comparison is based on an analysis of multidisciplinary dialogue on new ways of approaching comparisons from anthropology, sociology, political science, literature and education. Thick comparison generates theory by means of a dynamic interplay between the differences as well as similarities of comparative units. This stands in sharp contrast to the dominant logic termed ‘controlled comparison’, which focuses on establishing regularities and similarities between units. We do not argue for abandoning the dominant logic altogether but rather advocate greater plurality of approaches to comparison. Thickening comparisons is a powerful tool for theorizing about change, context and differences.
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