Application of prototype analysis to organizational research: A critical methodological review: Academy of Management Proceedings

Prototypes – internalized knowledge structures of the most typical or characteristic features of a concept – are considered important because they influence cognitive processing. And yet, prototypes of organizational concepts are relatively uncommon. To introduce prototype analysis to a wider audience of organizational scholars we conducted a critical methodological literature review following Aguinis, Ramani, and Alabduljader’s (2023) recommended 6-step procedure. 64 prototype analyses published in 29 journals were categorized and content analyzed. The analysis resulted in a 3-way taxonomy of studies based on concept category, relationship type, and theoretical development. While prototype analyses typically comprise a sequence of 4-6 independent studies, we found variation in the number and type of studies. Some prototype studies also use the features to create a measure or in model testing. The potential benefits of prototyping for organizational research are many, given the many abstract and unobservable concepts applicable to the workplace that are difficult to directly measure, and that also often have cross-cultural applications. We conclude our review with best practice recommendations and future research suggestions in applying prototype analysis to organizational concepts.