C. Marlena Fiol
Journal of Management Inquiry, Vol 19, Issue 1,  pp. 85–88.

Lest you think that I’m writing only to (or about) those of us who are old(er) in the field of organization studies, let me assure you that I am not. Yes, much of the research of us older folks is not fresh and new, but neither is that of much of the younger generation either. I recently had the opportunity to read numerous dissertation proposals, most of which cited elders in our field after every fourth or fifth word, and they contained very little content beyond spinning together old and often severely flawed theories. These young folks, who are diligently following our conventions of displaying knowledge of and building on existing theory, would benefit from learning to act as if they were new, as would many of us who are old.