Using Grounded Theory for Studying Business

Abstract

Grounded theory has emerged as a promising research approach for generating theory in emerging and relevant domains of IS research. In this paper we advance the use of grounded theory in one important and under-researched IS domain, business process management, which is characterized by an abundance of conceptual work with very little thorough theory development. We provide an illustrative case study that shows how grounded theory allowed us to develop theories about creative organizational processes, and the influence of creativity requirements on the management of such processes. Based on the experiences gathered, we then suggest a set of key issues that highlight why and when grounded theory can be particularly suitable for the study of phenomena associated with the business process management domain. We also provide examples for other inquiries that could benefit from the use of grounded theory.