Organizational Behaviour (Unit 2)

evidence based practice & research methods

Evidence Based Practice (EBP)

• make better decisions/get wanted outcome

• make informed decisions (use reliable/relevant info)

making:

• conscientious: commit effort/resources to finding evidence

• explicit: describe in detail claims being made

• judicious: make critical judgements of evidence presented

use of best avaliable evidence

EBP: Multiple Sources

use diff sources, some may be:

• more/less reliable/relevant

• tell diff stories

• clarify other evidence

EBP Main Sources Used

• scientific literature (studies)

• org data (internal)

• stakeholders concerns

• professional expertise

must ask questions to gather evidence to help identify the problem

EBP: Structured Approach (6 Steps)

1. Ask (translate into askable q → helps to find evidence to determine if issue must be tackled)

2. Acquire (ask questions within 4 sources + gather evidence)

3. Appraise (examine evidence, judge if reliable)

4. Aggregate (combine past avaliable evidence)

5. Apply (use answers to make better informed decision of what to/not do )

6. Assess (evaluate affects of choice)

Scienctific Approach

=aims to understand/predict/control something of interest

1. logical approach to investigation

2. depends on data (lab/real world)

3. communicable, open, public (other scientists can access)

4. sets out to disprove theories/hypothses

5. disinterestedness (objective, not influenced by biases)

Theory v. Hypothesis

T: explanation based on observations
H: educated guess for expected outcome before beginning experiment

Why do OB Scientists Engage in Research

= those making decisions in orgs can:

• learn from past mistakes

• improve decision making

Questions Considered Before Research Begins

1. research in lab/field? (L= ↑ control- too artifical, cant generalize) (F= theories in real world, ↓ control, hard to determine causation)

2. who will participants be

3. how will participants be assigned to diff conditions (ex. random assignment)

4. variable of interest

5. how variables measured

→ determines research design

Population v. Sample

P: large group of interest, research selects sample from
S: small group of people who participate in study (should be representitive of pop)

Variable

measures that can take on more than one value

• independent: being manipulated, changing dependent

• dependent: expected to vary as result of changes in independent

Moderating v. Mediating Variable

MO

• 3rd variable changes strength/direction of relationship b/w IV & DV

ME:

• explains relationship b/w IV & DV (how theyre related)

3 Types of Research Design

• Experimental: IV/DV, control/experimental, random assignment

• Quasi-experimental: cant randomly assign participants to conditions, not true experiment

• Nonexperimental: gathers info wo creating diff conditions (obeservations/survery), most common in OB

Internal Validity v. Threats to Internal Validity

• confidence of researcher that changes in DV are caused by changes in IV

threats: factors that are alt explanations for results (esp wo control group/random assignment)

Threats to Internal Validity Examples

• selection of participants: experimental group differs from control

• testing: might influence how they respond after experiment

• instrumentation: differences in measures

• statistical regression: regression towards mean overtime

• history: events during course of experiment causing changes

• maturation: changes in participants w time passage

• mortality: people dropping out, remaining people differ

Why are Nonexperimental Designs Used Most Commonly in OB

• experiments in lab are limited to ability to simulate work as experienced by worker

• experiments at workplace difficult to implement

• experiments in lab rely on conveience samples (students)

Quantitative v. Qualitative

scientists use either to collect data

Quan: uses tests/rating scales/questionaires, give results using numbers (more objective, eliminate context surrounding data)

Qual: observations/interviews/case studies/analysis of written doccuments (identify context around behaviour)

Generaliability

can results be applied to other groups/settings

• only if sample = respresentitice of pop

Reliability v. Validity

R: consistency of research subjects responses

V: extent of which measure truly reflects what its supposed to measure

• convergent: strong relationship b/w diff measures of same variable

• discriminant: weak relationship b/w measures of diff variables, unrelated constructs

Observational Research (Participant v. Direct)

= examin natural activites in org, observe what they say/do, objective

narative form (case study)

• participant: researcher is functioning mem of unit being studied (pro: secrecy (wont know being studied)

• direct: researched observes org behaviour wo taking part in studied activity

lack of control over envirornment, hard to generalize, best for inital examination

Correlational Studies

= examine relationships among variables wo introducing manipulation

• correlation doesnt equal causation

uses:

• surveys: questionaires gathering data

• interview: quantitative/qualitative

• existing data: info from org records

Cross Sectional v. Longitudinal Studies

C: IV/DV measured @ same time

L: IV measured @ one time, DV measured another (hard, time consuming)

Hawthorne Effect

• favourable response by participants in org experiment

• result of factor other than IV being manipulated