根据英语语法，在科技类或学术类文章中，当要引述他人的观点时，用现在时态和过去时态都可以，所以你的句子用一般过去时也可以的。即：

Whitley (1999) argues strongly for the persistence of distinctive company forms in many parts of the world.

Whitley (1999) argued strongly for the persistence of distinctive company forms in many parts of the world.

下面是从 Diana Lea 等人合编的 Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English 中搜索到的相关例句：

1. 用一般现在时的例句：

Ohmae (1991) argues further that information has made ns all global citizens.

Strobel (1996) argues that the media are more likely to follow politics than lead it.

Good (1995) argues that people will not easily abandon pleasurable behaviour which brings them income or power.

Williamson (1985) argues that some decision-makers tend to act in their own self-interest whenever this is profitable.

Ayler (2009) argues that the World Trade Organization has been spectacularly successful in increasing the volume of world trade.

2. 用一般过去时的例句：

Morgan and Moss (1965) argued for an ecological approach that focused on the community concept.

Bums (2006) argued that high rates of detention of black patients in mental hospitals are not a result of racism.

Benjamin (1934) argued that theatre and film should be a forum for political enlightenment.

Gellner (1983) argued that industrialization was a principal reason for the emergence of national languages and cultures.

Harris (1997) argued that river restoration should be part of the management strategy for common carp in Australia.