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Cited by 2,225Management and Organizational StudiesQualitative Comparative Analysis ResearchInnovation and Knowledge Management

A set-theoretic approach to organizational configurations

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Fiss, Peer C.·2007·Academy of Management Review
DOI 10.5465/amr.2007.26586092
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Abstract

I argue that research on organizational configurations has been limited by a mismatch between theory and methods and introduce set-theoretic methods as a viable alternative for overcoming this mismatch. I demonstrate the value of such methods for studying organizational configurations and discuss their applicability for examining equifinality and limited diversity among configurations, as well as their relevance to other research fields such as complementarities theory, complexity theory, and the resource-based view

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Crossref · 10.5465/amr.2007.26586092

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  • QCA has been deliberately designed to both conceptualize and analyze the causal complexity underlying much organizational phenomena.

    “By using the logic of set theory to conceptualize cases as configurations of causal attributes, QCA has been deliberately designed to both conceptualize and analyze the causal complexity underlying much organizational phenomena (Fiss, 2007).”

    From Embracing Causal Complexity: The Emergence of a Neo-Configurational Perspective (2017) · cites this paper as Fiss, 2007

  • Until recently, there was a void in tools capable of fully capturing causal complexity.

    “In fact, until recently, there was a void in tools capable of fully capturing causal complexity (Fiss, 2007; Fiss et al., 2013).”

    From Embracing Causal Complexity: The Emergence of a Neo-Configurational Perspective (2017) · cites this paper as Fiss, 2007

  • Fiss (2007) introduced QCA's set-theoretic approach to management research as a means to study configurations and complex causality, demonstrating how it might overcome the mismatch between theory and methods that had plagued earlier configurational theorizing.

    “Fiss (2007) introduced QCA's set-theoretic approach to management research as a means to study configurations and complex causality, demonstrating how it might overcome the mismatch between theory and methods that had plagued earlier configurational theorizing.”

    From Embracing Causal Complexity: The Emergence of a Neo-Configurational Perspective (2017) · cites this paper as Fiss, 2007

  • Controlled trial designs are less able to identify how exactly variables combine to create outcomes or to fully explain the processes through which programmes actually work.

    “Although such designs are well suited to assess the effectiveness of clinical treatments, it has long been recognised 110 that such research designs are less able to identify how exactly variables combine to create outcomes 111 or to fully explain the processes through which programmes actually work.”

    From ReseArch with Patient and Public invOlvement: a RealisT evaluation – the RAPPORT study (2015) · cites this paper as [111]

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Authors
Fiss, P. C.
Affiliations
University of Southern California (US)
Corresponding author
Fiss, Peer C.
Venue
Academy of Management Review
Publisher
Academy of Management
Published
2007-10
Volume
32
Issue
4
Pages
1180-1198
ISSN
  • 0363-7425 (ISSN-L)
  • 1930-3807
DOI
10.5465/amr.2007.26586092
OpenAlex
W2098386901
Semantic Scholar
901b357c7d4ab59298bd0872554f3f34091c40ff
Cited by
2,225
References
139
Citations by year
2026: 180 · 2025: 213 · 2024: 194 · 2023: 182 · 2022: 167 · 2021: 166 · 2020: 145 · 2019: 181 · 2018: 129 · 2017: 114 · 2016: 132 · 2015: 103 · 2014: 65 · 2013: 73 · 2012: 53
FWCI
55.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Academy of Management Review (publishedVersion)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Innovation and Knowledge Management
Keywords
organizational configuration, set-theoretic methods, equifinality, complexity theory, resource-based view

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