Field Theory as a Basis for Scholarly Consulting

Abstract

The article presents information on the 50th anniversary celebration of the Tavistock Institute in London, England, highlighting the 1997 Kurt Lewin Award Lecture, which examined the status of action research throughout the world. Sound theory produces propositions that are generalizable and, at the same time, applicable to the individual case. There is not one theory for the many and another for the one. Sociologist Kurt Lewin presented this feature in his description of the Galilean approach to explanation, as compared with the Aristotelian approach. The premise of the Galilean approach is that a complete description should lead to predictions that do not admit exceptions. If one exception is found, it can serve as the basis for disconfirmation and as a basis for further research. One cannot ignore or delay dealing with exceptions by labeling them as residual categories. The criterion of what is complete is defined by the theory. This makes it especially important that the theory be confronted with robust tests such as those proposed by the Galilean approach.