Showing papers in "Organizational Research Methods in 2015"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce the bibliometric methods of citation analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographical coupling, coauthor analysis, and co-word analysis for mapping research specialties.
Abstract: We aim to develop a meaningful single-source reference for management and organization scholars interested in using bibliometric methods for mapping research specialties. Such methods introduce a measure of objectivity into the evaluation of scientific literature and hold the potential to increase rigor and mitigate researcher bias in reviews of scientific literature by aggregating the opinions of multiple scholars working in the field. We introduce the bibliometric methods of citation analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographical coupling, co-author analysis, and co-word analysis and present a workflow for conducting bibliometric studies with guidelines for researchers. We envision that bibliometric methods will complement meta-analysis and qualitative structured literature reviews as a method for reviewing and evaluating scientific literature. To demonstrate bibliometric methods, we performed a citation and co-citation analysis to map the intellectual structure of the Organizational Research Methods j...
1,916 citations
TL;DR: The authors disproved the following six common misconceptions about coefficient alpha: (a) Alpha was first developed by Cronbach, (b) Alpha equals reliability, (c) a high value of alpha is an indica,
Abstract: This study disproves the following six common misconceptions about coefficient alpha: (a) Alpha was first developed by Cronbach. (b) Alpha equals reliability. (c) A high value of alpha is an indica...
414 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of 398 empirical articles and 41 unpublished dissertations that employ marker variables indicates that authors are not reporting adequate information regarding marker variable choice and use, are choosing inappropriate marker variables, and are possibly making errors in their assessment of CMV effects.
Abstract: This article investigates in two ways the use and reporting of marker variables to detect common method variance (CMV) in organizational research. First, a review of 398 empirical articles and 41 unpublished dissertations that employ marker variables indicates that authors are not reporting adequate information regarding marker variable choice and use, are choosing inappropriate marker variables, and are possibly making errors in their assessment of CMV effects. Second, two data sets are presented that investigate the properties of six prospective markers to assess the degree to which they capture specific, measurable causes of CMV and the conclusions these markers produce when applied to substantive relationships. Results from the review and empirical investigation are used to expand the set of conditions scholars should consider when determining whether to employ a marker technique over other alternatives for detecting and controlling CMV and how best to do so.
306 citations
TL;DR: The authors brought together a panel of established grounded theory scholars to understand the full reach and scope of GT and to help us in this endeavor through a reflective conversation, and they brought together the authors of the paper.
Abstract: Grounded theory (GT) is taught in many doctoral schools across the world and exemplified in most methodological books and publications in top-tier journals as a qualitative research method. This limited view of GT does not allow full use of possible resources and restrains researchers’ creativity and capabilities. Thus, it blocks some innovative possibilities and the emergence of valuable theories, which are badly needed. Therefore, understanding the full reach and scope of GT is becoming urgent, and we brought together a panel of established grounded theory scholars to help us in this endeavor through a reflective conversation.
220 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated the effects that careless responding and acquiescence response bias have on analyses conducted to assess construct dimensionality, and found that the negative correlation between factors defined by job satisfaction and dissatisfaction items, respectively, was attenuated by careless responding, and was not significantly different from −1.0 when both were controlled.
Abstract: We investigated the effects that careless responding and acquiescence response bias have on analyses conducted to assess construct dimensionality. Using job satisfaction/dissatisfaction as the focal construct, we measured and controlled for careless responding and acquiescence bias in data obtained from an online survey of employees (N = 666) from different organizations and occupational groups. We found that the negative correlation between factors defined by job satisfaction and dissatisfaction items, respectively, was attenuated by careless responding and acquiescence bias, and was not significantly different from –1.0 when both were controlled. Moreover, the correlations between the two factors and measures of other constructs were similar when careless responding and acquiescence were controlled. These findings challenge recent research purporting to demonstrate that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are distinct constructs. Recommendations for future investigations of construct dimensionality are...
122 citations
TL;DR: This paper used consensus-based composition models to examine the antecedents and effects of higher-level constructs, such as rwg, ICC(1), and ICC(2).
Abstract: Management researchers often use consensus-based composition models to examine the antecedents and effects of higher-level constructs. Typically, researchers present three indices, rwg, ICC(1), and...
117 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an overview and guide to implementing item response theory measurement equivalence (IRT) or differential item functioning (DIF) analysis is provided, as well as an overview of the requirements for implementing IRT and DIF.
Abstract: This article provides an overview and guide to implementing item response theory (IRT) measurement equivalence (ME) or differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. We (a) present the need for esta...
101 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the power of Grounded Theory is partly derived from the potential to let those closest to the phenomenon influence how it is studied, and that the GT approach is best used as a sequential, lock-step set of techniques that should be followed precisely.
Abstract: In my editorial and authorial experiences, Grounded Theory approaches to organizational research have proven to be some of the most powerful forms of inquiry we have into modern organizing and organizations. And part of that power comes from its ability to utilize both qualitative and quantitative data. But unlike Walsh et al., I do not believe Grounded Theory is capable of being an all-encompassing research paradigm, nor should it be. The heart and soul of GT methodologies lies in engaging a phenomenon from the perspective of those living it, which means it is most suited toward inductive examinations seeking deep insight into a phenomenon and its connections with the context. Likewise, I also disagree that a GT approach is best used as a sequential, lockstep set of techniques that should be followed precisely; the power of GT approaches is partly derived from the potential to let those closest to the phenomenon influence how it is studied. Yes, I agree that there are key components to the methodology th...
93 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide guidelines and illustrate practical steps necessary for an analysis of results from the multinomial logit model (MLM), which is a popular model in the strategy literature.
Abstract: This article provides guidelines and illustrates practical steps necessary for an analysis of results from the multinomial logit model (MLM). The MLM is a popular model in the strategy literature b...
74 citations
TL;DR: The authors focus on the effects of common method variance (CMV) on published research within the domain and focus on this concern in the context of the theory of probability theory of pl...
Abstract: Each research domain carries the burden of examining the effects of common method variance (CMV) on published research within the domain. To focus on this concern in the context of the theory of pl...
73 citations
TL;DR: Cross-level interaction effects lay at the heart of multilevel contingency and interactionism theories and practitioners are particularly interested in such effects because they provide informat... as discussed by the authors,.
Abstract: Cross-level interaction effects lay at the heart of multilevel contingency and interactionism theories. Also, practitioners are particularly interested in such effects because they provide informat...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors introduce practical theology as a method for pursuing organizational research, which involves iterative, mutual engagement with empirical data, social theories, and theological traditions, and contribute to advancing organization theory and management practice by promoting awareness of theological assumptions operating in research and organizations and motivating constructive and critical proposals that are unreachable from a secular perspective.
Abstract: Secularism is a prevailing norm for scholarly organizational research, yet the post-secular turn in philosophy provides an opening for researchers to work from theological perspectives and inquire into organizational topics of theological concern. This study introduces practical theology as a method for pursuing organizational research. This method involves iterative, mutual engagement with empirical data, social theories, and theological traditions. Research done as practical theology can contribute to advancing organization theory and management practice by promoting awareness of theological assumptions operating in research and organizations and by motivating constructive and critical proposals that are unreachable from a secular perspective.
TL;DR: Para-ethnography as mentioned in this paper is a general revisionist program in ethnographic theory that offers a way of reconceptualizing the role of the researcher, the nature of cultural knowledge, and the spatial boundaries of culture.
Abstract: Para-ethnography involves collaboration with organization members who are themselves producers of cultural analysis rather than sources of raw data. It begins from the premise that contemporary workplaces involve internal theorizing that, although distinct from academic theorizing, can inform and ground organizational theory. Modern organizations, as highly professionalized, and based on conceptual design and legitimation, are a natural match for para-ethnographic methods, which have nevertheless been absent from organizational scholarship. As part of a general revisionist program in ethnographic theory, para-ethnography offers a way of reconceptualizing the role of the researcher, the nature of cultural knowledge, and the spatial boundaries of culture. After describing the similarities and differences between revisionist ethnographic approaches, I outline how para-ethnography differs from other forms of ethnography in practice. Finally, I discuss the challenges and opportunities of para-ethnography, sugg...
TL;DR: The authors reviewed 11 years (2001-2011) of management research using count-based dependent variables in 10 leading management journals and found that approximately one out of four papers use the most basic P...
Abstract: We review 11 years (2001-2011) of management research using count-based dependent variables in 10 leading management journals. We find that approximately one out of four papers use the most basic P...
TL;DR: In psychological research, the processes by which one construct causes another are investigated using statistical procedures using observations of the hypothesiz... as mentioned in this paper, which is a staple of psychological research and is typically done with statistical procedures.
Abstract: Seeking to explain the processes by which one construct causes another is a staple of psychological research. This is typically done with statistical procedures using observations of the hypothesiz...
TL;DR: In this paper, the importance of intermediate items has been overlooked since the emergence of dominance-based Likert-type scales, and the authors aim to advance our understanding of the psychometric proper tie.
Abstract: The importance of intermediate items has been overlooked since the emergence of dominance-based Likert-type scales. The current study aims to advance our understanding of the psychometric propertie...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight the institutional context in which we are having this conversation, noting its consequences for grounded theory practice, and raise questions about the definition and boundaries of grounded theory, including the role of theory in the analytic process.
Abstract: This commentary offers reflections on the conversation about grounded theory in management and organization studies. It highlights the institutional context in which we are having this conversation, noting its consequences for grounded theory practice. It also raises questions about the definition and boundaries of grounded theory, including the role of theory in the analytic process, and it argues for a pragmatic consideration of its research practices.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an overview of relevant linguistic and related fields, positioning Ethnography of Communication within the broader context of anthropology, ethnomethodology, and sociolinguistics.
Abstract: Ethnography of Communication offers new analytical and interpretive possibilities for contextually sensitized, language- and communication-based ethnographic studies of management and organization. In this article we provide an introduction and overview of relevant linguistic and related fields, positioning Ethnography of Communication within the broader context of anthropology, ethnomethodology, and sociolinguistics. We describe Dell Hymes’s seminal contribution to theory and method of Ethnography of Communication (foregrounding Hymes’s signature concept of “communicative competence”) and outline what the application of an Ethnography of Communication approach in management research might entail (illustrating the application of Hymes’s SPEAKING grid). We conclude by offering an example of how the methods of Ethnography of Communication might be applied usefully to the study of organizational language, discourse, and communication.
TL;DR: The formulae for attenuation correction in meta-analysis treat reliabilities as if they were independent of each other as discussed by the authors, and this assumption of independence is put to the test by empiric studies.
Abstract: The formulae for attenuation correction in meta-analysis treat reliabilities as if they were independent of each other. The current study puts this assumption of independence to the test by empiric...
TL;DR: In this article, a factor mixture model was combined with a latent change score model to test both views of faking in a data set of N = 497 applicants, and the results showed that both views could have been modeled simultaneously.
Abstract: Research trying to uncover the true nature of faking is currently dominated by two competing modeling approaches. One approach views faking as the manifestation of distinct and qualitatively different response patterns. Typically, mixed Rasch models are used within this approach. The alternative approach views faking as a continuous and quantitative variable resulting from the interaction between test taker personality and situational demands. Modeling techniques for this approach range from regression analyses to structural equation modeling. So far, there has been no study in which both modeling approaches have been applied within one data set. More importantly, so far there has been no methodological model in which both views of faking could have been modeled simultaneously. Within the present article such a modeling approach is introduced and applied to a data set of N = 497 applicants. By combining factor mixture modeling with a latent change score model, it was possible to test both views of faking ...
TL;DR: A growing consensus is emerging that helps to position grounded theory (GT) in the research landscape as mentioned in this paper, which includes perspectives that range from nomothetic to idiographic and highlights data-driven exploratory approaches in opposition to theory-driven confirmatory approaches.
Abstract: It has become essential and urgent that significant actors in the management field of research become aware of the current rejection of previously accepted philosophical caricatures. The unrealistic though “tidy” paradigmatic dichotomy, positivism/quantitative/deduction versus interpretivism/qualitative/induction, is being rejected. Instead, a growing and “untidy” consensus is emerging that helps to position grounded theory (GT) in the research landscape. This growing consensus includes perspectives that range from nomothetic to idiographic and highlights data-driven exploratory approaches in opposition to theory-driven confirmatory approaches. While the foundational pillars of GT (emergence, theoretical sampling, and constant comparison) have to be respected when conducting a GT study, there certainly is plenty of room for creativity in the implementation of a data-driven exploratory GT approach. GT is not limited to an all-encompassing method for qualitative or interpretive research: It is much broader ...
TL;DR: This article offers a walkthrough of how a Bayesian logistic regression model is coded within BugsXLA, a user-friendly Excel add-in for Bayesian estimation, whose results provide rich and novel insights on the topic.
Abstract: When first learning Bayesian statistics, the organizational scholar may be confronted by a number of conceptual and practical challenges. The present article seeks to minimize these by first explic...
TL;DR: The study of congruence is central to organizational research as discussed by the authors and is typically framed as a predictor of outcome, i.e., the fit, match, similarity, or agreement between two constructs.
Abstract: The study of congruence is central to organizational research. Congruence refers to the fit, match, similarity, or agreement between two constructs and is typically framed as a predictor of outcome...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the still unanswered call by Von Krogh and Roos to collect empirical evidence on dominant logics by operationalizing self-reference and self-similarity.
Abstract: In aiming to understand how structures, such as rules, norms, and routines, establish inside organizations, scholars now focus their explanation on practitioners who enact a multitude of behavioral logics. Studies adopting this institutional logic perspective apply assumptions about the apparency and dominance of logics and consequently cannot adequately explain, with empirical evidence, how logics coexist or compete for dominance among practitioners. To fill this gap, we open these concepts up to recent academic inquiry as to the dominant logics that practitioners enact. In so doing, we address the still unanswered call by Von Krogh and Roos to collect empirical evidence on dominant logics by operationalizing two concepts: self-reference and self-similarity. We introduce a methodology that involves causal mapping enhanced with statistical tests and graphical approaches. Through an empirical investigation, we show how this method provides the enacted patterns of multiple logics, validates their dominance, and detects internal contradictions and inconsistencies. These findings highlight that if one defines dominant logics in terms of self-reference and self-similarity, causal mapping then generates competing and coexisting logics that practitioners enact.
TL;DR: A set of new statistics intended to address issues related to the consistency of individual items, item interrelationships, and individual respondents are introduced.
Abstract: Temporal consistency (otherwise known as test-retest reliability) is often calculated by correlating test scores for participants who have taken a test on two separate occasions. Unfortunately, analysis of the relationship between total scores across test administrations potentially ignores information related to the consistency of individual items, item interrelationships, and individual respondents. The purpose of this article is to introduce a set of new statistics intended to address these issues. Illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the potential utility of each proposed statistic and provide proof of concept. Each of the proposed statistics works as intended, providing evidence that this set of analyses can be used to enhance the assessment of temporal consistency.
TL;DR: The authors present a data exploratory technique for the identification of functional relationships between variables that is a compromise between nonparametric curve fitting and conventional polynomials and call for a routine application of the procedure in exploratory studies involving medium to large sample sizes.
Abstract: Imprecise theories do not give enough guidelines for empirical analyses. A paradigmatic shift from linear to curvilinear relationships is necessary to advance management theories. Within the framew...
TL;DR: The authors developed three points to stretch the reflective conversation: "One agrees that we need a more expansive understanding of qualitative research because doing qualitative research is d... " and "one agrees that qualitative research needs to be done more often."
Abstract: This brief essay develops three points to stretch the reflective conversation. One agrees that we need a more expansive understanding of qualitative research because doing qualitative research is d...
TL;DR: The authors conducted a meta-regression and variance decomposition study and concluded that the variation in the results from previous studies is driven by the number of observations per group within a component.
Abstract: A central question in strategic management is why some firms perform better than others. One approach to addressing this question empirically is to decompose the variance in firm-level profitability into firm, industry, location, and year components. Although it is well established that data sparseness in variance decomposition studies can lead to overestimating particular variance components, little attention has been paid to sample size requirements in strategic management studies that have examined the nature of differences in firm profitability. We conduct a meta-regression and variance decomposition study and conclude that the variation in the results from previous studies is driven—to a considerable extent—by the number of observations per group within a component. Based on these findings, we draw conclusions regarding the validity and reliability of previous variance decomposition studies and provide implications for current debates in the strategic management literature.