1.4: Difference between intuition and evidence in an OB context Flashcards
What is the key difference between intuition and evidence in OB contexts?
Intuition relies on personal beliefs and experiences, while evidence-based OB uses scientific research and data to guide organizational practices.
What is evidence-based management (EBM)?
EBM involves translating principles based on the best available scientific evidence into organizational practices and making decisions conscientiously and judiciously based on that evidence.
What are the five key practices of evidence-based management?
Learning about cause-and-effect connections.
Isolating variations that affect desired outcomes.
Reducing the overuse, underuse, and misuse of specific practices.
Building decision supports to promote validated practices.
Creating a culture of evidence-based decision-making and research participation.
How does EBM encourage learning about cause-and-effect connections?
By studying relationships between organizational factors, such as how job satisfaction impacts absenteeism and turnover, to identify effective people practices.
What does isolating variations that affect desired outcomes mean in EBM?
It involves understanding the conditions under which specific factors, such as job dissatisfaction, influence outcomes like employee turnover.
Why is it important to reduce the misuse of specific practices in EBM?
Because practices that work in one context may not be effective in another.
Effective managers should use practices appropriately and not apply them universally.
How can organizations build decision supports to promote evidence-based practices?
By institutionalizing practices that work under certain conditions and using tools to maintain consistency with evidence-based approaches.
How does EBM promote a culture of research participation?
By encouraging employees to participate in developing research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and making evidence-based decisions.
What is the “knowing-doing gap” in management development?
It refers to the challenge of applying what is known from research and theory to actual management practices, often due to misconceptions and resistance to change.
What is the challenge in evaluating and using evidence in OB?
The challenge lies in differentiating among facts, half-truths, and fictions, as the phrase “research shows” can mean anything from anecdotal evidence to large-scale studies.
How can personal experience hinder effective evaluation of OB evidence?
Personal experience can distort how one views evidence by reinforcing preconceived notions and relationships that may not be supported by data.
Why is GPA considered important for job success despite skepticism from students?
Evidence from 71 studies shows that undergraduate GPA correlates with job performance in the first five years post-college, and graduate school GPA is even more strongly correlated with post-graduate job performance.
What is a hasty generalization, and how does it relate to OB evidence?
A hasty generalization occurs when conclusions are drawn from small samples or personal anecdotes, leading to incorrect assumptions, such as dismissing the relevance of GPA based on isolated cases.
What are Big E evidence and little e evidence in OB?
Big E evidence: Generalizable knowledge based on systematic research across multiple contexts and large populations.
little e evidence: Organization-specific data that may improve decision-making locally but may not generalize to other settings.
How is Big E evidence typically presented?
It is often summarized in large literature reviews, meta-analyses, or empirical summaries that are highly generalizable across different situations and contexts.
What is the key limitation of little e evidence in decision-making?
Although it may help in specific organizational contexts, little e evidence may not apply broadly or be replicable in other organizations, leading to potential risks in generalizing its findings.
Why is it important to distinguish between Big E and little e evidence?
Understanding this distinction helps managers rely on systematic, generalizable evidence for broad decision-making while being cautious about overgeneralizing local or narrow findings.
What do experts rely on to address challenges or problems in practice?
Experts internalize their own “theories in use” or frameworks, which help them frame problems, gather information, and consider options without relying on rote methods.
What is the primary purpose of evidence-based frameworks in OB?
To help individuals diagnose situations, decide on actions thoughtfully, and avoid relying solely on anecdotes or personal experience when scientific evidence is available.
What are the four steps of the OB Playbook 1.1 framework for making evidence-based OB decisions?
Define: Clearly define the challenge you are addressing.
Understand: Identify OB theories or models relevant to the challenge.
Predict: Seek evidence about methods that predict successful outcomes in similar contexts.
Evaluate: Review whether the decisions produced the desired outcomes.
How does the OB Playbook framework illustrate evidence-based decision-making?
By encouraging clear definitions of challenges, use of both Big E and little e evidence, and evaluation of outcomes to improve future decisions.
What is OB Myth 1.2, and why is it a misconception?
Myth: OB strategies that work in one situation will work well in all situations.
Reality: The effectiveness of strategies depends on the situation, underscoring the need for critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making.
Why is it important to critically evaluate statements like “research shows” in OB?
Because not all evidence is created equal; informed students must dig deeper to understand the quality of evidence and avoid being misled by anecdotal claims.
What does the phrase “money is the best motivator” fail to consider?
It ignores that money may motivate in some situations but can have little influence or even demotivate in others, depending on the context.
