Who is considered to be the originator of the scientific method?
- Jeffrey Pfeffer
- Frederick Taylor
- Charles Darwin
- Sir Francis Bacon
- Adam Smith
Scientific studies are based on the scientific method, originated by Sir Francis Bacon in the 1600s.
Manon supports an evidence-based management style. Considering this, which of the following actions would she most likely take?
- disregarding a casual inference that indicates the cause of employee dissatisfaction
- taking the advice of a government agency on how to increase employee motivation
- lessening the reliance on analytics to hire employees and instead relying more on intuition
- transforming a human resources department by hiring more research and development experts
- combining meta-analysis with her own experience to determine the cause of employee turnover
Evidence-based management is a perspective that argues that scientific findings should form the foundation for management education, much as they do for medical education. Proponents of evidence-based management argue that human resources should be transformed into a sort of R&D department for managing people. As a result, Manon would most likely transform a human resources department by hiring more research and development experts.
Evidence-Based Management: A perspective that argues that scientific findings should form the foundation for management education.
The scientific method requires that theories be used to inspire
- verification.
- hypotheses.
- experience.
- intuition.
- auditing.
The scientific method begins with theory and requires that theories be used to inspire hypotheses.
Hypotheses: Written predictions that specify relationships between variables.
Ji-woo is interested in the effects of the choice of reward on employee motivation. She knows that there have been several studies done on this subject and compares their results looking for an average correlation. Ji-woo is conducting a
- meta-analysis.
- mediocre analysis.
- medial analysis.
- remedial analysis.
- moderated analysis.
Ji-woo is conducting a meta-analysis.
Meta-Analysis: A method that combines the results of multiple scientific studies by essentially calculating a weighted average correlation across studies (with larger studies receiving more weight).
Which of these takes all the correlations found in studies of a particular relationship and calculates a weighted average of them?
- alpha analysis
- gamma analysis
- meta-analysis
- causal analysis
- beta analysis
Meta-analysis takes all the correlations found in studies of a particular relationship and calculates a weighted average of them.
Meta-Analysis: A method that combines the results of multiple scientific studies by essentially calculating a weighted average correlation across studies (with larger studies receiving more weight).
A study shows that the high turnover rate at a company is only caused by the domineering attitude of a middle manager. What criteria of causal inference does this example show?
- The study was conducted in an open environment.
- No alternative explanation exists for the correlation.
- The presumed effect precedes the presumed cause in time.
- The two variables are not correlated.
- The sample size is large enough.
The study shows only one explanation for a high turnover rate, namely the domineering attitude of a middle manager. Making causal inferences requires establishing three things. First, that the two variables are correlated; second, that the presumed cause precedes the presumed effect in time; and third, that no alternative explanation exists for the correlation.
Causal Inference: The establishment that one variable does cause another, based on covariation, temporal precedence, and the elimination of alternative explanations.
A study shows that people who chew bubble gum have more cavities. Which criteria of casual inference does this example show?
- The two variables are not correlated.
- Multiple alternative explanations exist for the correlation.
- The presumed cause precedes the presumed effect in time.
- The study was conducted in an open environment.
- The sample size is large enough.
The study clearly shows that the presumed cause (chewing bubble gum) precedes the presumed effect (cavities). Making causal inferences requires establishing three things. First, that the two variables are correlated; second, that the presumed cause precedes the presumed effect in time; and third, that no alternative explanation exists for the correlation.
Causal Inference: The establishment that one variable does cause another, based on covariation, temporal precedence, and the elimination of alternative explanations.
Which of these is one of the conditions necessary to establish causal inferences?
- The presumed cause follows the presumed effect in time.
- Multiple alternative explanations exist for the correlation.
- Factors other than the variables in question could create causation.
- The two variables are correlated.
- The sample size is large enough.
Making causal inferences requires establishing three things. First, that the two variables are correlated; second, that the presumed cause precedes the presumed effect in time; and third, that no alternative explanation exists for the correlation.
Causal Inference: The establishment that one variable does cause another, based on covariation, temporal precedence, and the elimination of alternative explanations.
Which of the following explains the term causal inferences?
- proving that two variables are correlated
- making sure the sample size is adequate enough
- explaining why one variable is not correlated to another
- establishing that one variable truly does result in another
- analyzing a situation and understanding what went wrong
Making causal inferences involves establishing that one variable really does cause another.
In the 1960s, a popular ad stated that "Blondes have more fun!" This is an example of
- a positive correlation.
- negative causation.
- a proven fact.
- verification.
- data.
This ad suggests a positive correlation between hair color and fun.
Positive Emotions: Employees’ feelings of joy, pride, relief, hope, love, and compassion.
________ summarize the statistical relationships between variables.
- Hypotheses
- Correlations
- Observations
- Collections
- Theories
Correlations summarize the statistical relationships between variables. Correlations can be positive or negative.
Correlation: The statistical relationship between two variables. Abbreviated r, it can be positive or negative and range from 0 (no statistical relationship) to 1 (a perfect statistical relationship).
In organizational behavior research, a correlation of +1 between two variables is considered
- weak.
- inconclusive.
- arbitrary.
- irrelevant.
- perfect.
In organizational behavior research, a correlation of +1 is considered perfect.
Correlation: The statistical relationship between two variables. Abbreviated r, it can be positive or negative and range from 0 (no statistical relationship) to 1 (a perfect statistical relationship).
Which of the following correlations indicates no statistical relationship between two variables?
- 1
- -1
- 0
- 0.10
- -0.10
A correlation of zero indicates no statistical relationship.
Correlation: The statistical relationship between two variables. Abbreviated r, it can be positive or negative and range from 0 (no statistical relationship) to 1 (a perfect statistical relationship).
Which of the following is an example of meta-analysis?
- Yeeun used one study, which used a consistent measuring method, to determine the cause of employee stress.
- Sosuke used one study, which combined different samples, to determine why customers buy a certain product.
- Gail used two studies, each using the same samples and measures, to determine why sales of a product have declined.
- Sergio combined several studies, each using the same measuring method, to determine why profitability has increased.
- Fionn combined several studies, each using different kinds of samples and measures, to determine the cause of employee turnover.
Meta-analyses involve the use of several studies, each using different kinds of samples and measures.
Meta-Analysis: A method that combines the results of multiple scientific studies by essentially calculating a weighted average correlation across studies (with larger studies receiving more weight).
You work for a company that manufactures jeans, and you have an idea about how cold weather correlates with buying jeans. If you were implementing the scientific method for this company, which of the following actions would you do first?
- write a report showing how the data proves that more jeans sell in cold weather
- predict that more of the company's jeans will sell in January than in July
- collect data to prove that jeans will sell more in January than in July
- distribute surveys to find out how cold weather affects customers
- assert that cold weather makes people buy more jeans
The scientific method begins with a theory, defined as assertions. Because of this, you would first assert that cold weather makes people buy more jeans. This would be your theory, which would start the scientific method.
________ are written predictions that specify relations between variables.
- Hypotheses
- Verifications
- Theories
- Data
- Collections
Hypotheses are written predictions that specify relations between variables.
Hypotheses: Written predictions that specify relationships between variables.
Which of the following are two of the methods by which people "know" things?
- method of intuition and method of education
- method of education and method of authority
- method of experience and method of intuition
- method of authority and method of economics
- method of economics and method of education
The four methods by which people know things are the methods of experience, intuition, authority, and science.
Method Of Experience: When people hold firmly to some belief because it is consistent with their own experience and observations.