Why China? Theoretically Justifying Qualitative Research in Chinese Contexts

Abstract

Interest in qualitative research in Chinese contexts has grown rapidly, yet publishing such work in leading management journals remains challenging. Reviewers often recognize the empirical originality of China-based studies while questioning their theoretical generalizability. In response, this editorial develops a front-end framework for theoretically justifying qualitative research in Chinese contexts. We articulate three complementary justificatory modes – contrastive framing, extreme focusing, and indigenous exploring – that help authors explain how Chinese empirical settings can serve as sources of theoretical insight rather than merely as distinctive backdrops. We define each mode, illustrate them with published exemplars, and offer practical guidance on when to use each approach alone or in combination. In doing so, we show how contextual distinctiveness can be converted into analytic leverage: by revealing blind spots in dominant theories, surfacing mechanisms that are otherwise difficult to observe, or generating novel concepts from locally emergent phenomena. Beyond supporting authors studying China, the framework also offers a broader vocabulary for theorizing from underexamined contexts in qualitative management and organization research.