Research in OB-1

Appendix
Research in Organizational
Behavior
Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Chapter 1 / Slide 1
Learning Objectives
In this chapter, we will:
1.Define Research
2.Explain what a hypothesis is.
3.Distinguish between independent and dependent variables.
4.Differentiate reliability from validity.
5.Understand observational research and distinguish between
participant and direct observation.
6.Describe correlational research.
7.Explain experimental research.
8.Describe sampling, Hawthorne effect and the basic ethical
concerns to which researchers must attend.
Chapter 1 / Slide 2
What is Research?
• Research is a way of finding out about the world through
objective and systematic information gathering.
• The key words here are objective and systematic.
• It is these characteristics that separate the outcomes of the
careful study of organizational behaviour from opinion and
common sense.
• Basics of Scientific Research
1. A question
2. Hypothesis
3. Reliability and Validity
Chapter 1 / Slide 3
What is Hypothesis?
• All research in organizational behaviour begins with a
question about work or organizations.
• For example:
 What do people do when they perceive their pay to be too
low in comparison to other people's pay?
 A human resources manager might ask: How can we reduce
absenteeism among our customer service employees?
Chapter 1 / Slide 4
What is Hypothesis?
• Often, research questions are expressed as Hypotheses
• A hypothesis is a formal statement of the expected
relationship between two variables.
• Example:
1. The less fair people perceive their pay to be, the more likely
they will be to resign their jobs.
2. The introduction of a small attendance bonus will reduce
absenteeism.
Chapter 1 / Slide 5
Types of Variables
• In most research, we are concerned with two kinds of
variables: the independent variable and the dependent
variable.
• The independent variable is a predictor or cause of
variation in a dependent variable.
• The dependent variable is a variable that will vary as a
result of changes in the independent variable.
Chapter 1 / Slide 6
What are Variables?
Dependent variable and Independent Variable

 For example: The less fair people perceive their pay to be,
the more likely they will be to resign from their jobs.
In this case, pay fairness perceptions is the independent
variable and resigning is the dependent variable
 For example: The introduction of a small attendance bonus
will reduce absenteeism.
In this case, the attendance bonus is the independent variable
and absenteeism is the dependent variable.
Chapter 1 / Slide 7
Measurement of Variables
• A variable/measure should exhibit high reliability and
validity.
• Reliability is an index of the consistency of a research
subject's responses.
• For example: if we ask someone several questions about
how fair his or her pay is, the person should respond
roughly the same way to the same questions next week or
next month if there has been no change in pay.
Chapter 1 / Slide 8
Measurement of Variables
• Validity is an index of the extent to which a measure truly
reflects what it is supposed to measure
• For instance, A good measure of perceived pay fairness
should not be influenced by employees feelings of fairness
about other workplace factors such as supervision.

Chapter 1 / Slide 9
Types of Research Techniques
• There are three basic kinds of research techniques:
1. Observation
2. Correlation, and
3. Experimentation.
• Each begins with a research question or questions.

Chapter 1 / Slide 10
A. Observational research
• Observational research is a research that examines the
natural activities of people in an organizational setting by
listening to what they say and watching what they do.
• Observation means just what it implies.
• Observational research techniques are the most
straightforward ways of finding out about behaviour in
organizations.
• The difference between our everyday observations and the
formal observations is expressed by those key word
systematic and objective.
• Behavioral scientists will attempt to keep an ongoing record of
events that they observe.
 In some cases, an observer actively participates in the
behavior under observation, while in other cases he or she
does not participate.
 There are two observation approaches:
1. Participant Observation
2. Direct Observation
1. Participant Observation: Observational research in which the
researcher becomes a functioning member (becomes part) of the
organizational unit being studied.
Example:
 CEO work as an employee at their own company in disguise.
 A sociologist serve as industrial worker in a factory/plant to

study the factors that influence productivity.
Participant observation:
Advantage:
 Provide first-hand observations (personal experience).
 Potential for secrecy as participants don’t need to know they
are being observed if the researcher is blended in as an
employee.
Disadvantage
 The potential for secrecy raise some ethical issues.
 Places limitations on the observer's opportunity to document
what is happening, therefore, it is subjective to how that one
researchers interprets what they observed and depend on their
memory.
2. Direct observation: Observational research in which the
researcher observes organizational behavior without taking part
in the studied activity.
Example
 Recording the daily activities of the workplace.
 Watching employees in the workplace, listening to their
phone calls, inspecting their mail,…etc.
• There are a number of reasons why one might choose direct
observation over participation observation (why direct
observation is better).
1. There are situations in which the introduction/injection of a new
person into an existing work setting would disrupt and change the
nature of activities.
2. Participant observation also places limitations on the observers
opportunity to document/record what's happening
(memory/subjective)
3. There are many job tasks that a trained behavioral scientist could
not be expected to learn for research purposes (there are some jobs
where participating is unreasonable).
 i.e., pilot, banker…etc.
For observational research (both direct and participant
observation)
 Advantage: capture the depth, breadth, richness and realism of

organizational behavior.
 Disadvantage:
Both have a lack of control over the environment in which the
study is being conducted.
Note that
•Observational techniques are best used to make an initial
examination of some organizational event on which little or no
information is available and to generate ideas for further
investigation with more refined techniques.
• The data of observational studies are frequently just observer
notes and they often are not the most reliable or lack validity
B. Correlational research
Correlational research: research that attempts to measure

variables precisely and examine relationships among these
variables without introducing change into the research setting.
 Correlational techniques sacrifice the breadth and richness
of the observational techniques for more precision of
measurement and greater control.
 Correlational approaches differ from observational
approaches in terms of the nature of the data researchers
collect and the issues they investigate.
 The data of correlational studies involve surveys, interviews
and, existing data.
Note That
o Surveys: The use of questionnaires to gather data from
participants, who answer questions on the relevant
variables.
o Interview: A technique in which the researcher asks
respondents a series of questions to gather data on the
variables of interest.
o Existing data: Data that are obtained from organizational
records, such as productivity, absence, and demographic
information (age, gender…etc.).
For example:
 Employees who are satisfied with their jobs will tend to be more
productive than those who are less satisfied.
 Employees who perceive their supervisor as friendly and
considerate will be more satisfied with their jobs than those who do
not.
 Older employees will be absent less than younger employees.
 Advantages:
1. Greater control
2. More precision/specific of measurement
3. Can reach out more people.
 Disadvantages:
1. Lacks breadth and richness of observational techniques.
C. Experimental Techniques
How can we find out which factors cause certain organizational
behaviours? The answer is to perform an Experiment.
• Experimental research: research that changes or manipulates a

variable under controlled conditions and examines the consequences
of this manipulation for some other variable.
• Control group: a group of research subjects who have not been
exposed to the experimental treatment.
• In experimental language, the variable that the researcher
manipulates or changes is the independent variable. The variable
that the independent variable is expected to affect is the dependent
variable.
• For instance: Consider the following hypotheses:
1. The introduction of recorded music into the work setting will lead to
increased productivity. In this hypothesis, the independent
variable is music, and productivity, is the dependent variable.
2. Stimulating challenging jobs will increase the satisfaction of the
workforce. Here, the design of the job is the independent variable
and satisfaction is the dependent variable.
3. Friendly supervision contributes to employee productivity. Here, the
style of supervision becomes the independent variable, and
productivity becomes the dependent variable.
A Continuum of Research Techniques
Which of the research techniques is most effective?
These methods can be placed on a continuum ranging from rich, broad based,
and loosely controlled (observation) to specific, precise, and rigorous
(experimentation).
The method that researchers use to investigate organizational behavior is
dictated by the nature of the problem that interests them.
Note That
 There is no one best method/technique, it depends on the:
 Goal of the study, budget and existing condition.
Different techniques can be used in a study to complement each other (i.e.
observational and correlational)
Issues and concerns in organizational
behavior research
Is it easy to make OB research?
•As in every field of study, particular issues confront
researchers in organizational behavior.
•Three of these issues include:
A. Sampling,
B. Hawthorne effect
C. Ethical concerns.
behavior research
A. Sampling (Representative and Random)
 Researchers are usually interested in generalizing the results
of their research beyond their study.
 Large samples ensure that the results they obtain are truly
representative (sample size) of the individuals, groups, or
organizations being studied.
 Random samples ensures that all relevant individuals, groups,
and organizations have an equal probability of being studied
and gives confidence in the generalizability of the findings.
Note That
• Random sampling: means that the research participants
have been randomly chosen from the population of interest.
behavior research
B. Hawthorne Effect
 It results from relationship between the researcher and the
subject units that affect the true results.
 The Hawthorne effect is a favorable response by
participants in an organizational experiment that is the result
of a factor other than the independent variable that is
formally being manipulated.
 Example: the supervisors who have been selected to a
special training program might feel grateful and resolve to
work harder back on the job. This has nothing to do with the
training they received.
behavior research
C. Ethical concerns
 Ethical researchers avoid deception, inform participants
about the general purpose of their research, and protect the
anonymity (secrecy) of participants.
 Example: In some observation studies and experiments
participants may be unaware that their behavior is under
formal study.
 In these cases, researchers have special obligations to
prevent negative consequences for participants.

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Appendix

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.

Dependent variable and Independent Variable

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc.

 There are two observation approaches:

 CEO work as an employee at their own company in disguise.

 A sociologist serve as industrial worker in a factory/plant to

 Advantage: capture the depth, breadth, richness and realism of

Correlational research: research that attempts to measure

• Experimental research: research that changes or manipulates a

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