Revise MGT Research Proposal
Qeeeeee
ob_research_methods_md.pptxResearch Designs in Organizational Behavior
Overview of Methods
Research Designs in OB
Qualitative and Quantitative
Experimental and Quasi-Experimental
Correlational Field Study
Case Study
Mixed Methods
Qualitative & Quantitative
Qualitative research
Used to investigate a new area where not much is known.
Involves interviewing people in organizations and creating detailed information through transcriptions of interviews.
Quantitative research
Collects data through organizational surveys and/or observations.
Qualitative – example 1
Dasborough, M. T. (2006). Cognitive asymmetry in employee emotional reactions to leadership behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(2), 163-178.
Interviews and Focus Groups
Critical Incident Technique
Coding and Content Analysis > numbers
Findings: Leader behaviors were sources of positive or negative emotional responses in employees; employees recalled more negative incidents than positive incidents, and they recalled them more intensely and in more detail than positive incidents.
Qualitative – example 2
Dasborough, M., Lamb, P., & Suseno, Y. (2015). Understanding emotions in higher education change management. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(4), 579-590.
Interpretative study using phenomenography
Interviews
Thematic analysis
Findings: Employees perceived their experiences as being promising (an opportunity to look forward to), threatening (a threat to be carefully managed) or inevitable (unavoidable). Emotional responses are collective, with male/older/more senior respondents experiencing different emotions as compared to others.
Experimental & Quasi-Experimental
Experiments
Typically in behavioral lab settings
High degree of researcher control
Random assignment to groups
Quasi-experiments
Similar to experiments but often carried out in organizations
Often the strict criteria of experimental designs cannot be met
Experiment - example
Dasborough, M., & Harvey, P. (2016). Schadenfreude: The (not so) secret joy of another’s misfortune. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-15.
Schadenfreude - pleasure felt in response to another’s misfortune.
As a socially undesirable emotion, it might be assumed that individuals would be hesitant to share their schadenfreude.
In two experimental studies involving emotional responses to unethical behaviors, we find evidence to the contrary.
What was manipulated?
Study 1 – deservingness (3 levels)
Study 2 – deservingness (3 levels), status (2 levels)
| MANIPULATION: Level of deservingness | Organization: CEO | Termination reasons |
| Low Mean = 3.24 | Cricket Canada: Atul Ahuja | Business approach was not consistent with the board, personal dispute |
| Medium Mean = 3.98 | Mini Games: David Lobb | Poor performance and negative comments to media about key stakeholders |
| High Mean = 5.11 | Fiji Fisheries: Mitieli Baleivanualala | Unauthorized appointments, unauthorized use of funds, failure to attend meetings, defiance of overseeing organization |
Quasi-Experiment (Field)
Example: Greenberg (1990)
Question: When implementing a pay cut, do explanations given by managers reduce the likelihood of employee theft?
Conducted the experiment in three manufacturing plants. Employees received a pay cut and either no explanation, an inadequate explanation or an adequate explanation.
Employee theft (‘shrinkage’) was tracked across all three plants for 10 weeks.
Effects of Pay Cut and Explanations on Theft
Correlational Field Study
Study with two variables (predictor and outcome) related to one another
Data are gathered by having organizational members complete surveys
Data analyzed using statistical methods such as correlation/regression analysis
This is the most common research design employed
Field Study - example
Tse, H. M., Dasborough, M. T., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2008). A multi-level analysis of team climate and interpersonal exchange relationships at work. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 195-211.
Survey data obtained from a sample of 215 manager-employee dyads working in 36 teams (bank branches).
The self-report questionnaire measured individual employees' perceptions of affective climate, workplace friendship, and TMX; the manager-report questionnaire measured individual managers' perceptions of LMX for each employee within the branch
Results: High-quality LMX relationships are associated with enhanced workplace friendship between employees, especially when the affective climate is strong
Case Study
A case study is an in-depth analysis of an organization or a situation in an organization.
The goal is to describe the situation in great detail, paying particular attention to the context.
Cases can use both qualitative (interview) and quantitative data.
Lack generalizability
Cannot be used to test for causal relationships
Mixed Methods
Combines qualitative (e.g., interviews) and quantitative (e.g. surveys) in a single study.
Balances the strengths and weaknesses of the different research designs.
Activity – measures & sample
Select one of the examples.
Look for a theoretical model diagram (if there is one), and select one of the “variables” in the study.
How was this variable assessed/measured?
In the same example, identify the “sample” used. Why was that sample chosen?
