Eric Abrahamson

Necessary Conditions for the Study of Fads and Fashions in Science

Abstract:
This article asserts that any theory or research on fads or fashions in science has to answer three questions clearly and unambiguously. What defines "science"? What defines a "scientific fad" or a "scientific fashion"? What might facilitate the occurrence of scientific fads or fashions so defined? To illustrate this argument, this article critically examines the answers to three questions suggested by Starbuck's article: [Starbuck, W. H. (2009). The constant causes of never-ending faddishness in the behavioral and social sciences. Scandinavian Journal of Management]. The article concludes by discussing the challenges that certain scholars can pose to other scholars who courageously raise the possibility that fads or fashions might hold sway in the behavioral or social sciences.

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