Visit by Professor Ajay Kohli

Professor Ajay K. Kohli from the Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, is visiting CTF and Karlstad University on November 23 - 24. Professor Kohli will be presenting his research on Theory Buildning at an open CTF seminar, and give a two-day course on the topic in one of our Ph D courses. 

During the CTF seminar Professor Kohli will discuss how to understand the nature of a theory and the theory construction process. The seminar will be held in English, is free of charge and is open to the public.
For more information, please contact Britt-Marie Shandrew, +46 54-700 1550, britt-marie.handrew@kau.se
Time: November 24th, 10:15-12:00.
Place: Agardhsalen (11D257) at Karlstad University
Abstract: Theory and its Construction
The vitality of a discipline is reflected in the vibrancy and quality of its theories that explain and predict phenomena of interest. This research makes two main contributions. First, it clarifies the nature of a theory as comprised of three core components. It develops three general structures of arguments that may be used to support three different types of propositions (main effects, interaction effects, and non-linear effects). The three-component view of a theory highlights the importance of considering each of all three components during theory construction. Second, this research clarifies the nature of theory construction as a process that iterates between a theoretical plane and an empirical plane. It identifies key characteristics that make a theory impactful, and based on that suggests ways in which a scholar can engage in the theory construction process to generate more impactful theories.
Bio
Ajay K. Kohli is the Gary T. and Elizabeth R. Jones Chair and Professor of Marketing at the Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor Kohli is also a former editor of the Journal of Marketing, the premier broadbased academic journal in Marketing. He is among the 100 most cited authors in a decade in the fields of Business and Economics combined. Dr. Kohli has previously taught at e.g. Harvard Business School, and has led numerous executive education seminars in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. He has worked in industry for more than six years in sales & distribution management, and in marketing strategy consulting. Dr. Kohli has consulted for several companies including 3M, Accenture, Andersen, Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, Eastman Kodak, The Forum Corporation, Halli- burton, IBM, Shell, Texas Instruments, and the World Bank. Dr. Kohli’s research focuses on a variety of topics including market orientation, customer solutions, market signaling, cus- tomer relationships, sales management, brand management, and organizational buying.