Organizations are complex adaptive systems, composed of entities in dynamic interaction across multiple system levels, with collective phenomena emerging across levels over time. Theorizing about such phenomena takes one of two approaches: construct or process. Most of the scientific foundation of work and organizational psychology is based on construct theorizing and quantitative research. Process theorizing is far less prevalent and, until recently, the province of qualitative research. Construct theories focus on constructs (factors) and their relationships with one another; however, they are limited in their ability to explain processes. In contrast, computational process theories (CPT) focus on the who, what, when, where, how, and why of actors (e.g., individuals, teams, and/or organizations) engaging in actions. This factor versus actor emphasis influences how researchers theorize about and study phenomena, and the extent to which a theory encompasses all the layers of theoretical explanation (LTE).
LTE can account for phenomena from different perspectives. Starting at a molar layer of specificity, construct or factor theorizing examines relationships among constructs, but does not explain the process (i.e., how and why) for these relationships. This layer of explanation is where construct theory stops. At a middle layer of specificity, an actors/process layer describes action/event sequences when actors engage one another in an environment or setting. Processes, by definition, unfold and evolve over time. They cannot be adequately represented as construct point estimates, even when the data are longitudinal. Finally, moving down to a driver layer, the generative or process mechanisms are specified (i.e., rules, functions, or logic) that cause entities to act. CPT is articulated from the driver layer and instantiated in a computer simulation to run the theory. Thus, it can provide a full range of theoretical explanation across the LTE: factors, actors, and causal drivers. To advance theorizing, the field must encompass CPT.