Showing papers on "Empirical research published in 1982"
31 Jan 1982
TL;DR: This article reviewed various studies which have provided a description of and possible explanation to patterns of innovation adoption in the agricultural sector and highlighted the diversity in observed patterns among various farmers' classes as well as differences in results from different studies in different socioeconomic environments.
Abstract: This paper is a revised version of Staff Working Paper 444 It reviews various studies which have provided a description of and possible explanation to patterns of innovation adoption in the agricultural sector It therefore covers both empirical and theoretical studies The discussion highlights the diversity in observed patterns among various farmers' classes as well as differences in results from different studies in different socio-economic environments, and reviews the attempts to rationalize such findings Special attention is given to the methodologies which are commonly used in studies of innovation adoption, and suggestions for improvements of such work through the use of appropriate economometric methods are provided The diversity of experiences with different innovations in different geographical and socio-cultural environments suggest that studies of adoption patterns should provide detailed information on attributes of the institutional, social and cultural setting and their interactions with economic factors These may be an important element in explaining conflicting experiences
3,145 citations
TL;DR: The results of a forecasting competition are presented to provide empirical evidence about differences found to exist among the various extrapolative (time series) methods used in the competition.
Abstract: ln the last few decades matiy methods have become available for forecasting. As always, when alternatives exist, choices need to be made so that an appropriate forecasting method can be selected and used for the specific situation being considered. This paper reports the results of a forecasting competition that provides information to facilitate such choice. Seven experts in each of the 24 methods forecasted up to 1001 series for six up to eighteen time horizons. The results of the competition are presented in this paper whose purpose is to provide empirical evidence about differences found to exist among the various extrapolative (time series) methods used in the competition.
1,403 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an empirical study that examines the effects of background music on in-store shopping behavior, and find that music tempo variati cation has a strong effect on the shopping behavior.
Abstract: This paper critically reviews the literature available and presents an empirical study that examines the effects of background music on in-store shopping behavior. It finds that music tempo variati...
789 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that existing theory fails to provide strong and consistent prediction of individual job performance, and that the failure stems from a neglect of an important dimension of performance, the opportunity to perform, and the interaction of opportunity with known correlates of performance.
Abstract: Existing theory fails to provide strong and consistent prediction of individual job performance. This paper argues that the failure stems from a neglect of an important dimension of performance—the opportunity to perform—and the interaction of opportunity with known correlates of performance. A three dimensional interactive model of work performance is proposed; suggestions for future research and for managerial practice are offered.
722 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a review of all published field research on the evaluation of formal planning is made, showing that formal planning was superior in 10 of the 15 comparisons drawn from 12 studies.
Abstract: A review of research from organizational behavior supported the guidelines by corporate planners: that is, use an explicit approach for setting objectives, generating strategies, evaluating strategies, monitoring results, and obtaining commitment. To determine whether these findings could be applied to strategic decision making in organizations, a review was made of all published field research on the evaluation of formal planning. Formal planning was superior in 10 of the 15 comparisons drawn from 12 studies, while informal planning was superior in only two comparisons. Although this research did not provide sufficient information on the use of various aspects of the planning process, mild support was provided for having participation by stakeholders.
Formal planning tended to be more useful where large changes were involved, but, beyond that, little information was available to suggest when formal planning is most valuable. Future research should assess the formal planning process, the situation in which it is used, and its effects on the total system.
561 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the role of performance in the turnover process and the conceptual and empirical relationships among turnover and other so-called "withdrawal" critera.
Abstract: Current employee turnover research inadequately addresses several long recognized and important questions. Specifically, where is the process in turnover process research; what are the consequences of turnover and the processes related to these consequences; what is the role of performance in the turnover process; and what are the conceptual and empirical relationships among turnover and other so-called “withdrawal” critera? The importance of these questions and approaches to addressing these questions are discussed.
368 citations
TL;DR: Results show that influence does result from user participation, and that influence leads to both conflict and resolution, but participation without influence does not lead to success in any of the three development stages.
Abstract: This research explores the relationships among user participation, influence, conflict, and conflict resolution in the development of management information systems. Three stages of development are...
361 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between corporate social responsiveness and economic performance, and suggested the use of a contingency approach to social responsiveness, based on factors such as organizational size, relevance of a social issue, and industry characteristics.
Abstract: Empirical research on corporate social responsiveness, including its relationship to economic performance, is examined. The research suggests the use of a contingency approach to social responsiveness, based on factors such as organizational size, relevance of a social issue, and industry characteristics. The relationship between social responsiveness and economic performance is inconclusive.
296 citations
TL;DR: The requirement that a subject be competent as a condition of valid consent to participate in research has been accepted by most students of legal and ethical problems of human experimentation but has lacked a clear and generally agreed on standard.
Abstract: • The requirement that a subject be competent as a condition of valid consent to participate in research has been accepted by most students of legal and ethical problems of human experimentation. "Competency," however, has lacked a clear and generally agreed on standard. There are four commonly used standards for competency: evidencing a choice in regard to research participation, factual understanding of the issues, rational manipulation of information, and appreciation of the nature of the situation. These standards can be arranged hierarchically such that each represents a stricter test of competency. The decision as to how rigorous a standard for competency is desirable cannot be made on psychiatric grounds. It requires consideration of the policy goals one hopes to attain. Empirical research helps demonstrate the consequences of choosing a particular standard but cannot replace the need for achieving consensus on policy goals.
261 citations
TL;DR: The authors showed that the direction of the bias in beta estimation is consistent with roll's conjecture, however, the magnitude of bias appears to be too small to explain the firm size effect.
Abstract: Empirical research indicates that small firms earn higher average rates of return than large firms, even after accounting for beta risk. Roll conjectured that the small firm effect might be attributed to improper estimation of security betas. The evidence shows that while the direction of the bias in beta estimation is consistent with Roll's conjecture, the magnitude of the bias appears to be too small to explain the firm size effect.
219 citations
TL;DR: The results show that the users involved in the systems design are very similar to their systems counterparts, and suggest that these similarities in personality types may have an impact on system success.
Abstract: Information systems for large firms are typically designed by a team comprised of both users and systems personnel The Management Information System (MIS) literature discusses a communication gap between the organization oriented users and the more technical systems staff
It is often hypothesized that systems personnel and users are different in terms of personality and behavior characteristics and that these differences are one of the primary reasons for the existence of a communication gap This article summarizes a two-phased study The first phase investigated personality characteristics of respondents from thirty-two large organizations who worked on design teams The second phase examines, in detail, a system success and failure in one organization Analysis was performed to see if there are significant differences on personality dimensions between users and systems personnel and to explore the relationship between these differences and system success An operationalization of Jung's personality typology (Myers-Briggs Type indicator) was employed
The results show that the users involved in the systems design are very similar to their systems counterparts Even more surprising is that the characteristics of these users are closer to the popular descriptions of systems staff than the analysts are They also suggest that these similarities in personality types may have an impact on system success The general implications of these findings in terms of the management of project teams and the MIS designs they create are discussed
TL;DR: This article showed that a best-member strategy can equal the performance of an interacting group, where each group adopts as its own the individual decision of the member it identifies as the best.
TL;DR: In this article, an experiment was conducted to provide empirical support for the notion that asymmetrical causal attributions for favorable and unfavorable outcomes result from a self-serving attributional bias that occurs independently of self-presentational concerns.
TL;DR: The Author's Formula as discussed by the authors is a set of rules that authors can use to increase the likelihood and speed of acceptance of their manuscripts, such as not picking an important problem, not challenging existing beliefs, not obtaining surprising results, not using simple methods, not providing full disclosure, and not writing clearly.
Abstract: Recently I completed a review of the empirical research on scientific journals (Armstrong 1982). This review provided evidence for an “author’s formula,” a set of rules that authors can use to increase the likelihood and speed of acceptance of their manuscripts. Authors should: (1) not pick an important problem, (2) not challenge existing beliefs, (3) not obtain surprising results, (4) not use simple methods, (5) not provide full disclosure, and (6) not write clearly. Peters & Ceci (PC 1980), they broke most of the rules.
TL;DR: This article showed empirically that market segments can be defined along more dimensions than hitherto have been included in any analysis, and that the empirical applications of Rosen's model do not seem to effectively account for the complexity of the factors which cause multiple equilibria (market segmentation).
TL;DR: In this article, the inter-firm composition of R&D spending is analyzed and a set of variables has been developed for explaining the interfirm levels of research and development spending.
Abstract: Research and development encompasses a myriad of activities. Generally, research is the primary search for technical or scientific advancement, and development is the translation of such advancement into product of process innovations. The National Science Foundation has fostered an even finer breakdown: basic research, applied research and development. In practice, however, R&D is more heterogeneous than these labels imply. The research fields associated with basic research include areas in both the physical and biological sciences. Applied research and development projects relate to product groups as diverse as all the activities in the industrial sector. Nevertheless, most previous empirical studies of the microeconomic aspects of R&D have treated R&D spending as a single, homogeneous activity. Consequently, a generally acceptable set of variables has developed for explaining inter-firm levels of R&D spending, but virtually nothing is known about the determinants of the inter-firm composition of R&D.
TL;DR: Part-time workers have been neglected in organizational research and viewed narrowly in popular and economic literature as mentioned in this paper, and these relevant variables should be included in comparative studies of these workers, and their methodological and policy problems are discussed.
Abstract: Although a substantial and growing percentage of the United States labor force, part-time workers have been neglected in organizational research and viewed narrowly in popular and economic literature. Part- and full-time employees appear to differ in at least four important respects, and these relevant variables should be included in comparative studies of these workers. Methodological and policy problems are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the appropriateness of an approach based on information integration theory and functional measurement, as a means of predicting consumer response to changes in physical attributes of shopping centres, both from an empirical and methodological point of view, is considered.
Abstract: Timmermans H. (1982) Consumer choice of shopping centre: an information integration approach, Reg. Studies 16, 171–82. This paper is concerned with the relationships between the physical attributes of the retailing system, consumer decision-making and overt behaviour. The appropriateness of an approach, which is based on information integration theory and functional measurement, as a means of predicting consumer response to changes in physical attributes of shopping centres, is considered, both from an empirical and methodological point of view. The results of the empirical study tend to provide general support for the approach. Several methodological issues are raised which deserve further investigation in order to refine the approach.
TL;DR: In this paper, different strategies for conducting empirical research in the Management Information Systems (MIS) field are discussed and the trends are analyzed over a ten-year period with respect to the differences between articles authored by practitioners and academic, differences among articles that are cited frequently versus infrequently, and the relationship with the type of research conducted.
TL;DR: A study of 319 DMUs was designed to assess the feasibility of snowballing by telephone and to ascertain the impact of exhaustive versus single-stage snowballing on the nature of the resultant DMU.
Abstract: Though the concept of a multiperson decision making unit (DMU) has been widely accepted in principle, very few empirical studies have surveyed all members of the DMU. In those few studies which hav...
TL;DR: Many authorities have urged companies to set up environmental scanning to assist corporate planning and advocates have recommended a unit at corporate level, which would give breadth of view and penetration into the future.
Book•
01 Sep 1982
TL;DR: The state of the art of environmental benefit measurement is summarized in this paper, with a clear, non-technical explanation of the principles and methods of benefit measurement, and of the relevant characteristics of areas of application (air and water quality).
Abstract: Air and Water Pollution Control: A Benefit-Cost Assessment,by A. Myrick Freeman, Jr. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1982, 186 pp. Price: $26.00. The book is an overview of the state of the art of environmental benefit measurement, based on a synthesis of the literature through 1981. This overview is combined with a clear, nontechnical explanation of the principles and methods of benefit measurement, and of the relevant characteristics of areas of application (air and water quality). Major empirical studies are summarized and responsibly critiqued. Freeman's synthesis includes several consensual, "best judgment" estimates of the actual benefits which air and water pollution control programs can produce. These estimates are compared with the annual costs of pollution control programs, illustrating the uses and limitations in these cases of benefit-cost analysis. The book is an accessible and authoritative summary of what is known of the benefits of environmental improvement.
TL;DR: In this article, the performance appraisal interview was reviewed in the context of recent performance appraisal models and three factors seem consistently useful for producing effective interviews: superior's knowledge of the subordinate's job and performance, superior's support of the subordination, and welcoming the subordinate participation.
Abstract: Research on the performance appraisal interview was reviewed in the context of recent performance appraisal models. Three factors seem consistently useful for producing effective interviews: superior's knowledge of the subordinate's job and performance, superior's support of the subordinate, and welcoming the subordinate's participation. The appropriate function, frequency, and format of the interview, as well as goal setting and actual subordinate participation, depend on characteristics of the employee and job.
TL;DR: This article found that an important explanatory factor for deviance in the employment setting is the employee's perception regarding their perceptions regarding their own beliefs about their beliefs and beliefs about others' beliefs.
Abstract: Inquiries into the nature of deviance in the employment setting have generally assumed (without much empirical support) that an important explanatory factor is the employee's perception regarding q...
TL;DR: The authors assesses the impact of three classes of organization development interventions based on 65 empirical studies and show that certain classes of interventions appear to be more effective than others, while a typology of outcome variables is used to show how OD has affected organizational behavior.
Abstract: Little systematic research has concentrated on the effects of organization development (OD) in terms of hard-criteria measures of performance and behavior. This paper assesses the impact of three classes of OD interventions based on 65 empirical studies. A typology of outcome variables is used to show how OD has affected organizational behavior. Certain classes of interventions appear to be more effective than others.
TL;DR: In this article, a systematic critique of the human capital approach to black-white inequality is presented, which suggests that a serious analysis of the black white earnings gap will require an entirely new approach to the study of racial income inequality.
Abstract: The persistence of earnings differences between blacks and whites in the United States has been a topic that has received a substantial amount of attention in both theoretical and empirical research in economics The differential in earnings typically is tied to racial differences in human capital accumulation This paper advances a systematic critique of the human capital approach to black-white inequality Inadequacies are identified in human capital theory as a general theory of inequality as well as a specific theory of racial inequality The critique suggests that a serious analysis of the black-white earnings gap will require an entirely new approach to the study of racial income inequality
TL;DR: In this article, a critical appraisal of the benefits of meta-analysis to the therapy outcome literature is presented, with a special reference to the application of meta analysis to the treatment outcome literature.
Abstract: Meta-analysis is a systematic and quantitative approach to reviewing empirical literature. Its claimed benefits of superior objectivity and dependability arise from its adoption of the methodological principles and methods of primary empirical research. This paper offers a critical appraisal of these claims, with special reference to the application of meta-analysis to the therapy outcome literature. Features examined include the numerical combination of results obtained in independent studies; search procedures and inclusion criteria; and the coding of objective and qualitative features of the source studies, which are then used to study the correlates of outcome via disaggregation and multiple regression analysis. The major criticisms reviewed include allegations of overgeneralization, indiscriminate inclusion of low quality data, and idiosyncratic and unacceptable conclusions. It is concluded that the continued application and refinement of meta-analysis in the field of therapy outcomes has an important contribution to make, although not to the exclusion of other methods of integrating data. It is predicted that methods and principles currently associated with meta-analysis will increasingly find a place in all reviews of extensive tracts of empirical literature.
15 Mar 1982
TL;DR: This extended abstract will focus on the empirical strand of the Cognition and Programming Group at Yale University, and describes an experimental technique just begun to be used to more carefully study what it is that expert and novice programmers do—and don't—know.
Abstract: The Cognition and Programming Group at Yale University is engaged in two complementary efforts:1. exploring the programming process empirically, paying special attention to the knowledge and strategies which expert and non-experts employ, and2. building computer-based environments which aid novices learning to program.In this extended abstract we will focus on the empirical strand of our research program; in particular, we will describe an experimental technique we have just begun to use to more carefully study what it is that expert and novice programmers do—and don't—know. In [19, 20, 22, 18, 7] we describe additional empirical studies, while [21] describes MENO-II, our intelligent programming tutor for Pascal.