Theoretical Pluralism in Strategic Management: A Critical Methodological Review and the Development of the Adaptive Pluralism Model (APM)

Abstract

This study conducts a systematic critical review of the causes of theoretical pluralism in strategic management, analyzes the boundaries, failures, and overlaps of major schools of thought, and develops an integrative conceptual framework termed the Adaptive Pluralism Model (APM). The model classifies the sources of pluralism and identifies the conditions under which pluralism becomes either a knowledge strength or a cognitive fragmentation. The study follows the PRISMA 2020 protocol, screening 742 initial studies and retaining 74 for final analysis. Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was applied alongside bibliometric analysis to map the most influential theoretical clusters. Four major themes explain theoretical pluralism: Philosophical Fragmentation (n=41), Interdisciplinary Borrowing (n=45), Environmental Dynamism (n=37), and Competitive Knowledge Production (n=29). The study concludes that pluralism is an adaptive property rather than a knowledge crisis when accompanied by inter-school dialogue and meta-theoretical awareness. The APM model represents an original meta-theoretical contribution at three levels: meta-theoretical, conceptual, and methodological.