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In abstract terms, context is the set of circumstances in which phenomena (e.g. events, processes or entities) are situated. The context typically exists at a unit of analysis above the phenomena being investigated (Mowday & Sutton, 1993) and the context can explain some salient aspect of the phenomena (Cappelli & Sherer, 1991).
Griffin, M. A. (2007). Specifying organizational contexts: systematic links between contexts and processes in organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28(7), 859–863. doi:10.1002/job.489