Contextualization for Theoretical Contributions: Three Approaches in Management Research

This editorial essay introduces three approaches for advancing management research through contextualization in Chinese management research. While the Chinese context of-fers fertile ground for theoretical contributions, scholars often struggle to effectively lever-age contextual elements to extend existing theories. I address this gap by presenting three approaches: the counter-intuitive approach, which challenges established assumptions by identifying relationships that contradict conventional wisdom; the tension-setting approach, which unpacks complex interactions that demonstrate varying effects under different condi-tions; and the theory integration approach, which combines different theoretical perspec-tives to create richer understanding of organizational phenomena. Using published works on guanxi and social networks as examples, I demonstrate how these approaches help scholars articulate why the Chinese context matters theoretically. These approaches provide re-searchers with tools to move beyond simply testing Western theories in China toward mak-ing substantive theoretical contributions that extend and enrich existing management theo-ries through contextualization.