Who Says You Can't Develop Theories and Models when the 'Theory of Can't' says you can?

I've spent some time today scribbling diagrams on the backs of envelopes (no cliche - I really did use envelopes - there are no cigarette packets or beer mats at my place).  The reason?  I've been creating a model of 'can't'.

Ok, I'm going to rewind a little here (Wodehousian difficulty in starting my story at the right point).  I'm writing an editorial piece on why business theory is important, and this has led me to think about the mythology that surrounds 'theory' in general.  For many, theory is synonymous with abstraction, complexity and inaction.  It is thinking, not doing - divorced from reality - a closeted world which excludes those who don't know the lingo.

For some students theory is the stuff in books that you need to know to pass exams.  It's a matrix, a Venn diagram or a pyramid with labelled sections and a surname attached.  What a sad little paradox it is when the very things designed to simplify, explain and provide help are also the things that seem most complex, inexplicable and like a barrier to the achievement of success.

This is where I got to in my thinking for the article, before I asked myself the following question:

'Have we lost touch with theory - or does theory just have a marketing problem?'

'Maybe' (still talking to myself - not out loud, of course) 'we need to take a broader perspective on the role of theory, and particularly how we communicate it and how we teach it - who is doing this?  I'm sure there must be people out there doing this.'

Ok, now I have a little rule for myself that if I'm thinking about something I try to form an opinion or take a position before I read the opinions, arguments, statistics, research presented by others.    This, I realise, is not the way most people work - but I like to find my instinctive position, a sort of anchor point before letting the barrage of others' opinions hit me with their best shots.  In reality I often change my opinion when I learn more, but that's all part of the learning.

What I'm getting to, is that I ignored everyone else's view on this, and decided to go with my first idea.   My first idea went something like this...

'I know, I'll take a concept, generate some theory and create a model, (probably on the back of an envelope) today, for something everyday, just so I can demonstrate how easy it is.'  I create little diagrams quite often when I'm trying to work things out, but today I did it with a sort of meta-consciousness to see how I went about it and what made it work/not work.

So, I have modelled the concept 'can't'.  'Can't' is pretty simple isn't it?  If you're unable to do something, you can't do it.   Well I can confirm that 'can't' is more complex than that, but only a little, a four quadrant matrix is enough to create a pretty good model of it (if I do say so myself). So, where's the model?  Well I'm not going to show you mine...mine is mine and yours will be yours. So I'd rather you had a go for yourself.

A lot of students think they 'can't' generate a theory or a model.  This term, I'm planning to see if my first years can model 'can't' for me...because my theory of 'can't' says they can...and I'd quite like to test it...

OK, that's enough for now...I'm off to work on my theory of 'can'.  This one's gonna look like a Rubix Cube...