Grover & Lyytinen (2015) urged to reassess the Information System (IS) field’s exclusive dependence on reference theories and to engage more in blue-ocean theorizing. From its inception, such need has been latent in the field, because it deals with novel, fast changing, complex, and systemic phenomena that is hard to account with received theory. We note in this essay that the need for innovative theorizing is heightened given the unprecedented, pervasive digitalization of contemporary society, accelerated by ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this essay, we scrutinize further the idea of blue-ocean theorizing and review the characteristics, impediments, and merits of developing innovative theory. We define endeavors toward such theory as collectively endorsed cognitive processes which increase variance and novelty of theoretical accounts of IS phenomena. These push to deviate from the field’s established theoretical (canonical) core by relaxing six assumptions that guide dominant, legitimate forms of the field’s theorizing. We identify and review institutional barriers that curb the development of innovative theory. In conclusion, we offer guidelines for how the field and its stakeholders can productively engage in developing and evaluating innovative theory.

Grover & Lyytinen (2015) 敦促重新评估信息系统 (IS) 领域对参考理论的唯一依赖，并更多地参与蓝海理论化。从一开始，这种需求就潜伏在这个领域，因为它处理的是新奇的、快速变化的、复杂的和系统性的现象，这些现象很难用公认的理论来解释。我们在这篇文章中注意到，鉴于当代社会前所未有的、普遍的数字化，以及持续的 COVID-19 大流行加速了创新理论的需求。在本文中，我们进一步审视了蓝海理论的思想，并回顾了发展创新理论的特点、障碍和优点。. 我们将针对此类理论的努力定义为集体认可的认知过程，这些过程增加了对 IS 现象的理论解释的差异和新颖性。通过放宽指导该领域理论化的主导、合法形式的六个假设，这些推动偏离了该领域已建立的理论（规范）核心。我们识别和审查阻碍创新理论发展的制度障碍。总之，我们为该领域及其利益相关者如何有效地参与开发和评估创新理论提供了指导方针。