Purpose – To review critically the applicability of Grounded Theory.

Design/methodology/approach – Two perspectives are used: that of the author’s personalexperience and that of the internal pros and cons of Grounded Theory.

Findings – Grounded Theory is called into question regarding problems with pre-understanding,with everyday knowledge, with disconnection of context, and with coding procedure.

Practical implications – It is important to think twice before using Grounded Theory in spite of its promising features at the outset.

Originality/value – Empirically and theoretically founded critique of Grounded Theory