What problem does it solve? Academic papers in management, marketing, information systems, and related social sciences are frequently rejected for "weak theory" — a theory section that lists references, variables, diagrams, and hypotheses without explaining why phenomena connect. This Skill diagnoses what is missing and helps researchers build, strengthen, or position a genuine theoretical contribution. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Theory diagnosis: Checks a manuscript against Sutton & Staw's five impostors of theory and Whetten's four building blocks (What / How / Why / When-Where-Who) to locate the missing logic. - Contribution generation: Applies Cornelissen & Durand's six modes of analogical and counterfactual reasoning to produce novel constructs, mechanisms, or frame-breaking perspectives. - Positioning and evaluation: Uses Davis's twelve types of interesting propositions, Locke & Golden-Biddle's problematization moves, and Whetten's seven reviewer questions to pressure-test the contribution before submission. - Use Case: A researcher whose paper was rejected for "weak theory" pastes their theory section; the Skill identifies that the Why is missing, coaches them through a causal analogy to specify the mechanism, and drafts a contribution statement with boundary conditions. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to diagnose whether the theory section of your manuscript actually explains why, and to help strengthen the theoretical contribution.
