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Vol. 13. Issue 42.
Pages 11-34 (March 2010)
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Vol. 13. Issue 42.
Pages 11-34 (March 2010)
Open Access
Micro-foundations for management research: What, why, and whither?
Micro-Fundamentos para la investigación en Dirección de Empresas: ¿Qué, por qué, y adonde?
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Nicolai J. Foss
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njf.smg@cbs.dk

Center for Strategic Management and Globalization. Copenhagen Business School. Porcelainshaven 24B; 2000 Frederiksberg; Denmark. and Department of Strategy and Management. Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration. Breiviksveien 40; N-5045; Bergen; Norway.
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Abstract

Micro-foundations have emerged as an important foundational theme in recent management research. I offer an interpretation of what micro-foundations may mean in the context of management research; argue that the interest in micro-foundations have arisen as a consequence of the shortcomings of extant, dominant macro perspectives with respect to coming to grips with key management and organizational challenges related to knowledgebased production; and offer some alternative foundations, based on goal-framing theory, that are better capable of handling these challenges.

Keywords:
Micro-foundations
capabilities
research heuristics
managing knowledge based production
Resumen

Los micro-fundamentos han emergido de forma reciente como un tema de interés para la investigación en Dirección de Empresas. En este trabajo se ofrece una interpretación de su significado e interés para la investigación. Se argumenta que su interés surge como consecuencia de las limitaciones de las perspectivas macro, dominantes, con respecto a los desafíos organizativos y de dirección derivados de la producción basada en el conocimiento. En el trabajo se presentan también otros fundamentos alternativos más adecuados para tratar estos problemas basados en la teoría goal-framing.

Palabras clave:
Microfundamentos
capacidades
producción basada en el conocimiento
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This paper originated as a keynote speech to the ACEDE Congress, Toledo, September 9, 2009. It builds on and partly summarizes my previous work with Peter Abell, Teppo Felin and Siegwart Lindenberg.

Copyright © 2010. ACEDE
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