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When creating theory to understand or implement change at the social and/or organizational level, it is generally accepted that part of the theory building process includes a process of abstraction. While the process of abstraction is well understood, it is not so well understood how abstractions 'fit' together to enable the creation of better theory. Starting with a few simple ideas, this paper explores one way we work with abstractions. This exploration challenges the traditionally held importance of abstracting concepts from experience. That traditional focus has been one-sided--pushing science toward the discovery of data without the balancing process that occurs with the integration of the data. Without such balance, the sciences have been pushed toward fragmentation. Instead, in the present paper, new emphasis is placed on the relationship between abstract concepts. Specifically, this paper suggests that a better theory is one that is constructed of concepts that exist on a similar level of abstraction. Suggestions are made for quantifying this claim and using the insights to enable scholars and practitioners to create more effective theory. Keywords Conceptual systems * Theory building * Abstraction * Metatheory * Theory of theory, 1 Introduction I begin with the view that the social sciences have not yet developed theories that are unarguably highly effective in practical application. One reason for this lack of [...]

Several data-sets are collected and analyzed to analyze the different patterns of action that can be used for an empirical analysis of the organizational routines. The patterns as observed in the different contexts of events, pair of events and for different abstraction levels are also analyzed.

There has recently been considerable interest in accounts of fiction which treat fictional characters as abstract objects. In this paper I argue against this view. More precisely I argue that such accounts are unable to accommodate our intuitions that fictional negative existentials such as 'Raskolnikov doesn't exist' are true. I offer a general argument to this effect and then consider, but reject, some of the accounts of fictional negative existentials offered by abstract object theorists. I then note that some of the sort of data invoked by the abstract object theorist in fact cuts against her position. I conclude that we should not regard fictional characters as abstract objects but rather should adopt a make-believe theoretic account of fictional characters along the lines of those developed by Ken Walton and others.

The manner in which Derrida's dialogue with Levinas and his investigation of the Greek/Jew opposition becomes a debate about ethics and hospitality is examined. The process of abstraction that supports the opposition is highlighted as also the way in which such abstraction conflicts with the ethical aims of their respective objects.

ABSTRACT. The process of abstraction and concretisation is a label used for an explicative theory of scientific model-construction. In scientific theorising this process enters at various levels. We could identify [...]

Alexander Pope's poem 'Dunciad' is flawed rather than enhanced by its duality of language and content. Despite successive attempts by other authors to salvage the poem's continuity, it fails to achieve coherence due to the abstraction of language needed for object reference. This abstraction interferes with the poem's ability to generate material effects on readers.

Abstraction in music and its representation is a weak approximation of the totality of the experience as experienced by the composer. It is only a feeble communication device aimed at repeatability.

This paper presents a new technique for helping managers to talk through and develop their view of difficult and complex issues, which are given expression by arranging a collection of objects, some of them symbolically rich, in an arrangement or 'sculpture'. At the same time, the managers describe and develop the meanings being given to, and the relationships between, the objects. The technique is in the tradition of elicitation techniques, such as cognitive mapping, in that it encourages a person or a group to dialogue with a physical representation of their ideas. Meanings are not merely described but sometimes actively constructed or negotiated. Theoretically, the technique draws on recent work in cognitive psychology and linguistics on metaphors. The paper describes and evaluates our experience with using the technique in a variety of different circumstances, and argues that, more than two-dimensional techniques, cognitive sculpting offers the 'requisite variety' to capture and communicate the richness and metaphoric complexity of managers' views of their world. Key words - cognitive mapping, elicitation, group decision, modelling, subjectivity

Philosophers have squabbled endlessly over Rene Descartes' assertion that the mind is distinct from the body. In support of Descartes' assertion, an epistemic standard is extrapolated from his 'Fourth Set of Replies,' which allows inferences from de re conceivability claims to de re modal claims, without transgressing the norm that governs abstraction. This epistemic standard respects both the presupposition relations and the superordination relations inherent within the idea of a unified mind and body.

Graphical representation limit abstraction in cognitive actions, and thus aid 'processibility'. External and internal graphical and linguistic representational system show that a cognitive theory of peoples reasoning performance explain the logical 'equivalence' of inferences evident in graphical and linguistic form and the implementational 'difference' which influences facility of inference. Mental models data is covered to find new empirical predictions. Architecture of working memory's capacity to store specific representations easily is also considered.