
Institute of Behavioural and Decision Science (行為與決策科學研究所)
Robert D. Calkins Professor of International Business
Columbia University
Bernd Schmitt is Robert D. Calkins Professor of International Business and Faculty Director of the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School in New York. He was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Consumer Research from 2021-2024. He is known for his work on technology, branding and consumer experiences. Schmitt has published in the major marketing journals, consulted in various industries globally, and written nine industry books which have been translated into 25 languages. His work has received more than 50,000 Google Scholar citations.
This paper introduces Generative Grounded Theory (GGT), an AI-enhanced method for inductive theory building that adapts grounded theory—and qualitative research procedures more broadly—to contemporary digital and algorithmic research conditions. GGT integrates generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into grounded-theory analysis while preserving human interpretive authority and theoretical responsibility. The method specifies a step-by-step process that supports systematic comparison and structured engagement with qualitative data. We demonstrate the method by outlining two new consumer-psychology studies and reanalyzing two established grounded-theory studies. We also address concerns surrounding GenAI use and outline future developments in the use of GenAI for qualitative analyses. GGT enables greater scale and efficiency in working with qualitative data, which are increasingly heterogeneous and multimodal, while supporting rigorous and precise theory construction and enhancing transparency and traceability. GGT can also be extended to other qualitative approaches that rely on similar analytic procedures.