The ODA Section invites you to a seminar where Peter Kesting will give the following presentation:

Everything you always wanted to know about causality (but were afraid to ask)

Abstract
Causality plays a central role in scientific research, yet it remains a concept fraught with ambiguity. There are differing interpretations of causality, and in some cases, it is even deliberately avoided. This presentation aims to provide greater clarity on the subject by first examining the significance of causality in research and its essential function in scientific inquiry. The discussion then focuses on how causality is integrated into research, with particular attention to the extent to which theories should reflect causal structures. Furthermore, the presentation will examine the implications of this for empirical knowledge generation.

The presentation begins with an overview of the classical, deterministic concept of causality, outlining its definition and key properties. This is followed by an exploration of complexity, emphasizing the necessity of abstraction and the implications of theoretical construction. A key takeaway from this analysis is that at least two distinct concepts of causality are relevant to management studies, yet they are often insufficiently differentiated. This coexistence of different concepts makes the relationship between causality and theory highly complex.

Everyone is welcome!