The article considers the role of theory in management research. The author notes common criticisms include there is too much theory without empirical backing, or an abundance of theory with scant relevance for practitioners. He responds that theory signals values upon which knowledge is built, it can serve as a means of knowledge accumulation and knowledge abstraction, and it can provide a perspective for viewing the world as it could be. A concern he has about theory in management research, though, is its lack of reflexivity