research methods in management

Research Methods in Management

Joint Doctoral Seminar

2008 Winter

Professor:Gary Johns, Concordia University

1:30-4:30

Time: Thursday,

Location:GM XXX; 1550 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Phone:(514) 848-2424 ext. 2914

Fax: (514)

848-4292

E-mail:gjohns@jmsb.concordia.ca

This course is designed to familiarize students with basic research methods issues and techniques in organizational behavior, strategy, and human resources management. It

is also appropriate for some students in MIS and accounting. The course is concerned mostly with quantitative research techniques rather than qualitative techniques, which are covered in depth in other joint program courses.

Unlike some research methods courses, this one is concerned with the whole of the research process, beginning with how theory gets converted into research ideas and finishing with the publication cycle. Emphasis will be placed on critiquing published research in light of what we are studying. Over time, this will enable you to develop

your own critical perspective on what constitutes high quality research that is publishable in the best journals in the organizational sciences.

The course will provide much “inside information” on professional issues in the organizational sciences pertaining to the research and publication process, including the pitfalls that lead to manuscript rejection and the factors that influence editorial decisions. The grading scheme is as follows:

20% Class participation

20% Written critique of an assigned empirical research article

60% Research proposal on a substantive topic of your choice

Additional information on the critique and research proposal will be provided during the course.

Required text: Pedhazur, E.J., & Schmelkin, L.P. (1991). Measurement, design, and analysis: An integrated approach. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

WEEK 1

Introduction

WEEK 2

Converting Theory into Research Ideas

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapters 7, 8, and 9

Sutton, R.I., & Staw, B.M. (1995). What theory is not. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40, 371-384.

Bromiley, P., & Johnson, S. (2005). Mechanisms and empirical research. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 2, 15-29.

Staw, B.M. (2005). The escalation of commitment: Steps toward an organizational theory. In K.G. Smith & M.A. Hitt (Eds.), Great minds in management: The process of theory development (pp. 215-238). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Scan: Campion, M.A. (1993). Article review checklist: A criterion checklist for reviewing research articles in applied psychology. Personnel Psychology, 46, 705-718.

Critique: Keil, M., Rai, A., & Mann, J. (2000). Why software projects escalate: An empirical analysis and test of four theoretical models. MIS Quarterly, 24, 631-664.

WEEK 3

Converting Research Ideas into Research Designs

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapters 10 and 11

Hitt, M.A., Boyd, B.K., & Li, D. (2004). The state of strategic management research and a vision of the future. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 1, 1-31. Bergh, D.D., Hanke, R., Balkundi, P., Brown, M., & Chen, X. (2004). An assessment of research designs in strategic management research: The frequency of threats to internal validity. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 1, 347-363.

Venkatraman, N., & Tanriverdi, H. (2004). Reflecting “knowledge” in strategy research: conceptual issues and methodological challenges. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 1, 33-65.

Lengnick-Hall, M.L. (1995). Sexual harassment research: A methodological critique. Personnel Psychology, 48, 841-864.

Critique: Judge, W.Q., Jr., & Dobbins, G.H. (1995). Antecedents and effects of outside director’s awareness of CEO decision style. Journal of Management, 21, 43-64.

WEEK 4

Understanding Relationships between Variables

Stone-Romero, E.F., & Liakhovitski, D. (2002). Strategies for detecting moderator variables: A review of conceptual and empirical issues. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 21, 333-372. (See also Stone, E.F. [1988]. Moderator variables in research: A review and analysis of conceptual issues. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 6, 191-229.)

Mathieu, J.E., & Taylor, S.R. (2006). Clarifying conditions and decision points for mediational type inferences in organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27, 1031-1056.

Johns, G. (2006). The essential impact of context on organizational behavior. Academy of Management Review, 31, 386-408.

Critique: Schultz, C.J. II. (1993). Situational and dispositional predictors of performance : A test of the hypothesized Machiavellianism x structure interaction among sales persons. Journal of Applied Social psychology, 23, 478-498.

WEEK 5

Measurement I: Reliability

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapters 2 and 5

Schmidt, F.L., & Hunter, J.E. (1996). Measurement error in psychological research: Lessons from 26 research scenarios. Psychological Methods, 1, 199-223.

Cohen, P. (1982). To be or not to be: Controlling and balancing type I and type 2 errors. Evaluation and Program Planning, 5, 247-253.

Boyd, B.K., Gove, S., & Hitt, M.A. (2005). Construct measurement in strategic management research: Illusion or reality? Strategic Management Journal,26, 239-257.

Critique: Seamonds, B. (1982). Stress factors and their effect on absenteeism in a corporate employee group. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 24, 393-397.

WEEK 6

Measurement II: Validity

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapter 3 and 4; also pages 669-684

Schwab, D.P. (1980). Construct validity in organizational behavior. Research in Organizational Behavior, 2, 3-34.

Hinkin, T.R. (1998). A brief tutorial on the development of measures for use in survey questionnaires. Organizational Research Methods, 1, 104-121.

Critique: Sambharya, R.B. (2000). Assessing the construct validity of strategic and SIC-based measures of corporate diversification. British Journal of Management, 11, 163-173.

Critique: Miller, M.J., Woehr, D.J., & Hudspeth, N. (2002). The meaning and measurement of work ethic : Construction and initial validation of a multidimensional inventory. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 60, 451-489.

WEEK 7

Measurement III: Advanced Issues in Measurement

Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Lee, J-Y., & Podsakoff, N.P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879-903.

Harzing, A-W. (2006). Response styles in cross-national survey research: A 26-country study. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 6, 243-266.

Edwards, J.R. (2001). Ten difference score myths. Organizational Research Methods, 4, 265-287.

Podsakoff, N.P., Shen, W., & Podsakoff, P.M. (2006). The role of formative measurement models in strategic management research: Review, critique, and implications for future research. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 3, 197-252.

Critique : Diamantopoulos, A., & Siguaw, J.A. (2006). Formative versus reflective indicators in organizational measure development: A comparison and empirical illustration. British Journal of Management, 17, 263-282.

WEEK 8

Data Sources

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapter 6

Schwarz, N., Groves, R.M., & Schuman, H. (1998). Survey methods. In D.T. Gilbert, S.T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 143-179). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Miller, C.C., ogilvie, dt., & Glick, W.H. (2006). Assessing the external environment : An enrichment of the archival tradition. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 3, 97-122.

Johns, G. (2003). How methodological diversity has improved our understanding of absenteeism from work. Human Resource Management Review, 13, 157-184.

Critique: Hayward, M.L.A., & Hambrick, D.C. (1997). Explaining the premiums paid for large acquisitions: Evidence of CEO hubris. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42, 103-127.

Critique: Glomb, T.M., Kammeyer-Mueller, J.D., & Rotondo, M. (2004). Emotional labor demands and compensating wage differentials. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 700-714.

WEEK 9

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapters 12 and 13

Critique: Harris, R.J., Garner-Earl, B., Sprick, S.J., & Carroll, C. (1994). Effects of foreign product names and country-of-origin attributions on advertisement evaluations. Psychology & Marketing, 11, 129-144.

Critique: Lam, S.S.K., & Schaubroeck, J. (2000). A field experiment testing frontline opinion leaders as change agents. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 987-995. WEEK 10

Correlational Designs

Pedhazur & Schmelkin, Chapters 14 and 15

Dillman, D.A. (2000). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method (2nd ed.). New York; Wiley. (Chapter 11, pages 352-412: Internet and interactive voice response surveys).

Critique: Schneider, B., Hanges, P.J., Smith, D.B., & Salvaggio, A.N. (2003). Which comes first: Employee attitudes or organizational financial and market performance? Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 836-851.

Critique: Johnson, J.L., & O’Leary-Kelly, A.M. (2003). The effects of psychological contract breach on organizational cynicism: Not all social exchange violations are created equal. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 627-647.

WEEK 11

Meta-analysis

Hunter, J.E., & Schmidt, F.L. (2004). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (Chapters 1 and 2, pp. 3-71).

Schmidt, F.L. (1996). Statistical significance testing and cumulative knowledge in psychology: Implications for training of researchers. Psychological Methods, 1, 115-129.

Dalton, D.R., & Dalton, C.M. (2005). Strategic management studies are a special case for meta-analysis. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 2, 31- 63.

Critique: Judge, T.A., Bono, J.E., Ilies, R., & Gerhardt, M.W. (2002). Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 765-780.

Critique: Damanpour, F. (1991). Organizational innovation: A meta-analysis of effects of determinants and moderators. Academy of Management Journal, 34, 555-590. WEEK 12

Levels of Analysis

Klein, K.J., & Kozlowski, S.W.J. (2000). From micro to meso: Critical steps in conceptualizing and conducting multilevel research. Organizational Research Methods, 3, 211-236.

Chan, D. (1998). Functional relations among constructs in the same content domain at different levels of analysis: A typology of composition models. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 234-246.

Morgeson, F.P., & Hofmann, D.A. (1999). The structure and function of collective constructs: Implications for multilevel research and theory development. Academy of Management Journal, 24, 249-265.

St. John, C.H. (2005). Multi-theoretical mixed-level research in strategic management. Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, 2, 197-223.

Critique: Pirola-Merlo, A., & Mann, L. (2004). The relationship between individual creativity and team creativity: Aggregating across people and time. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 235-257.

WEEK 13

Research Ethics and Publication and Review Practices

Aguinis, H., & Henle, C.A. (2002). Ethics in research. In S.G. Rogelberg (Ed.), Handbook of research methods in industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 34- 56). Oxford: Blackwell.

Academy of Management. (2006, February). Academy of Management code of ethics. Briarcliff Manor, NY: Academy of Management.

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/b311118099.html,: Research resources (Review this)

Lowman, R.L. (Ed.). (1998). The ethical practice of psychology in organizations. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (Selected case studies from this source)

Schminke, M. (2004). From the editors: Raising the bamboo curtain. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 310-314.

Harrison, D. (2002). From the Editors: Obligations and obfuscations in the review process. Academy of Management Journal, 46, 1079-1084.

Campion, M.A. (1997). Rules for references: Suggested guidelines for choosing literary citations for research articles in applied psychology. Personnel Psychology, 50, 165-167.

Critique: Floyd, S.W., Schroeder, D.M., & Finn, D.M. (1994). “Only if I’m first author”: Conflict over credit in management scholarship. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 734-747.