This briefing document reviews the main themes and key findings of the article "Towards a Critical Realism Synthesis of Configurational and Middle-Range Theorising" by Mohsin Malik and Imran Ali (2024). The article focuses on the application of configurational theorising and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) in developing middle-range theories within the context of supply chain management, specifically supply chain resilience.

Main Themes:

1. Bridging the Gap Between General and Contextualised Theories: The authors argue that while established theories from organisational studies, such as resource-based view and dynamic capabilities, provide insights into competitive advantage, they often lack the nuance to capture the intricate network dynamics inherent in supply chains. This calls for the development of middle-range theories specifically tailored to supply chain contexts.
2. The Synergy of Middle-Range and Configurational Theorising: The paper posits that a critical realist synthesis of middle-range and configurational theorising offers a powerful approach to studying complex phenomena like supply chain resilience. It allows for the identification of multiple, context-dependent configurations of factors leading to the desired outcome, while simultaneously enabling generalisability through the identification of common patterns across cases.
3. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) as a Methodological Tool: The authors advocate for the use of QCA, particularly fuzzy-set QCA (fsQCA), in analysing qualitative data for configurational middle-range theorising. They provide a detailed five-phase roadmap for employing fsQCA, emphasising the importance of theoretical grounding, contextualised sampling, inductive-deductive within-case analysis, careful calibration of data, and rigorous cross-case analysis.
4. Critical Realism as an Ontological Foundation: The paper underscores the importance of adopting a critical realist ontology in configurational middle-range theorising. This involves acknowledging the existence of multiple layers of reality – real (causal mechanisms), actual (events or outcomes), and empirical (observations). This perspective guides the research process, particularly in interpreting empirical findings and inferring causal relationships.

Source: Towards a critical realism synthesis of configurational and middle-range theorising, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Towards_a_critical_realism_synthesis_of_configurational_and_middle-range_theorising/26255093