Pathways to IT-Rich Recontextualized Modifying of Borrowed Theories: Illustrations from IS Strategy*

Abstract

While indigenous theorizing in IS has clear merits, theory borrowing will not, and should not, cease completely due to its appeal and usefulness. In this chapter, we aim at increasing our understanding of IT-rich recontextualized modifying of borrowed theories. We present a 2×2 framework in which we discuss how two recontextualization approaches of specification and distinction help with increasing the IT-richness of borrowed constructs and relationships. In doing so, we use several illustrative examples from IS strategy. The framework can be used by researchers as a tool to explore the multitude of ways in which a theory from another discipline can yield some IT-rich understanding.