Seven practices of successful organizations

1
Seven practices of successful organizations

• Employment security
• Selective hiring
• Decentralization
• High compensation
• Extensive training
• Reduction of status differences
• Sharing of information

2
The Research Process

• Formulate research problem
• Generate hypothesis
• Measure variables
• Operational definition
• Select a research design
• Collect/Analyze Data
• Draw conclusions

3
Measurement in Organizations

• Construct abstract level
• Variable measures abstract concept
• Operational definition specific definition of
  variable
• Example Work Environment

4
Methods for data collection in orgs

• Survey
• Observation
• Obtrusive
• unobtrusive
• Interview
• Experimental design (33 of studies)-
• Quantitative Measures
• Days absent
• sales

5
Survey Research

• Self report surveys of work environment,
  attitudes, performance, etc. are commonly used in
  org research
• Benefits
• Easy to understand
• Can provide definitions (people can take time to
  answer)
• Sensitive issues-anonymous
• Concerns
• Establishing causal relationship
• Anonymity
• Bias problems

6
Field Observations

• Types
• Complete participant
• Participant as observer
• Observer as participant
• Complete observer
• Strengths?
• Concerns?

7
Techniques for field study

• Field notes
• Narrative account after the fact
• Usually focused on entire system, not one person
• Running record
• Writing down everything as it occurs
• Typically focused on one person or aspect

8
Interviews

• In depth information from a group of individuals
• Considerations
• Creative a positive atmosphere
• Ask questions consistently
• Record entire response
• Avoid biases
• Gain enough info
• Strengths?
• Concerns?

9
Experimental Research

• To test for cause and effect
• Random assignment to experimental and control
  groups
• IV DV
• Challenging to implement within organizations
  because of random assignment

10
Ethics of Organizational Research

• Unintentional coercion
• Harm or discomfort to employees
• Fear of reprisal
• Fair conditions
• Observations or focus groups might put people in
  unfair position
• Review by institutional review board would look
  for things that might unintentionally harm
  participants-impact their job position

11
Research Exercise

• Imagine that you have been hired as a consultant
  to implement a new management hiring program.
• The program focuses on hiring people who have
  good communication skills, leadership abilities,
  and will demonstrate caring and concern for
  employees.
• Discuss what kinds of measures you might use to
  test for these characteristics.
• Rank your top five most important characteristics
  that you would want to measure
• Design a research study that would test the
  effectiveness of the new hiring program.
• Identify and define your variables
• Identify and briefly define your method
• You can be creative in the approach you take!