Conceptual Research: Multidisciplinary Insights for Marketing

Conceptual research is fundamental to advancing theory and, thus, science. Conceptual articles launch new research streams, resolve conflicting findings, explain new phenomena, and integrate divergent research areas. Yet, compared with other disciplines, marketing publishes little conceptual research. This article provides a multidisciplinary perspective of conceptual research to help increase the quality and quantity of conceptual research in marketing. First, the authors compare conceptual research approaches across marketing, management, psychology, and sociology to synthesize existing conceptual research frameworks. Second, using citation analyses, the authors provide insights into the academic impact of conceptual research across disciplines, across marketing domains, and over time; they also assess its impact outside of academia. Third, to assist researchers, the article offers a step-by-step process or “how to” guide for developing high-impact conceptual research, based on insights from the multidisciplinary analysis and interviews with conceptual researchers from different disciplines. Fourth, drawing on the interviews and keyword analysis of recent conceptual marketing articles, the authors suggest emerging opportunities for conceptual research and discuss how to increase the value of conceptual papers for practitioners.