Susan K. Cohen, Brianna Barker Caza, Candace Jones
We routinely use abductive reasoning to generate plausible explanations for surprising datum but, as management scholars, have rarely labeled the inferential processes that we use in our research as abductive. However, attention to abduction as a distinctive form of inferential logic has grown since the founding of Academy of Management Discoveries (AMD) in 2015, which was established with the belief that empirical exploration and abductive inference are central to advancing scientific understanding of contemporary organizational and managerial phenomena. While this tenet has gained traction during the last decade, confusion around what constitutes an abductive research approach and, especially, how it differs from inductive research, remains. This confusion is evident in submissions, workshops, and conversations with colleagues, indicating an urgent need to bring clarity.