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Article: In defense of theory.(From the Editor)(industry research and academic research)(Editorial)
- Article from:
- Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly
- Article date:
- February 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Cornell University. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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One of the trends I see in the popular press and even in some research circles is that the concept of "theory" seems to be under assault. The term "theory" has in some ways become a synonym for some to "impractical." I regularly hear practitioners and even some academics make statements to the effect of "well, that may be good in theory, but in the real world ..." There also seems to be a fairly poor understanding of what even constitutes a theory, what the characteristics of a theory are, and ultimately why theories are important and why we should study them. There is much written about theory in academic circles, but this information is rarely circulated more widely. ...