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Concept Development: A Primer

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Abstract

Concepts serve critical functions in science, through their descriptive powers and as the building-blocks of theory. When concepts are immature, therefore, science suffers. Consequently, concept development ought to be considered a fundamental scientific activity. Knowledge of different approaches to concept development, however, is relatively limited in the management discipline. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to provide a primer on concept development. It begins by establishing the link between concepts and science. It then describes and discusses the main approaches to concept development. Finally, it provides an example of concept development from the marketing sub-discipline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    John Branch & Francesco Rocchi

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  1. John Branch
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  2. Francesco Rocchi
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Correspondence to John Branch.

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Branch, J., Rocchi, F. Concept Development: A Primer. Philosophy of Management 14, 111–133 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-015-0011-9

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