Henry Austin
henryaustin@hks.harvard.edu
The sociologist Andrew Abbott, writing from the perspective of an unspecified future researcher, suggested that “causal relationships” might be “what made social science science.” In recent decades, many management researchers, following economists, have centered causality in their empirical research, employing techniques such as randomized controlled trials, A/B testing, or instrumental variables estimation. This causal turn bounds the actors and relationships considered by economic models, enables researchers to do anticipatory work in future worlds, and aims to prevent future replication crises. It offers a criterion for choosing between competing theories, although it also may reduce the universe of demonstrable claims. I argue that the accompanying narrative forms, rhetorical techniques, and faith in method are essential and often overlooked elements: beyond the econometric merits of causal inference, these devices establish legitimacy and allow management researchers to shape policy and affect practice in new ways.
Kyle Schirmann is a doctoral student in the Strategy unit at Harvard Business School, where he is completing a dissertation entitled “Creativity, Information, and Strategy." His research addresses how organizations develop creative and innovative capabilities, given environments of considerable technological or market uncertainty. Before joining HBS, Kyle worked as a software engineer at Bloomberg and as a senior analyst at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. He earned a BA in Mathematics from New York University, an MA in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies from Columbia University, and a graduate diploma in Social Sciences from the University of London.
LOCATION:CGIS South, S354 STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTART:20251201T171500Z DTEND:20251201T190000Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR