Experiments in organizational behavior

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

7-2014

Abstract

The goal of the scientific study of organizational behavior is to solve problems related to joint production marked by division of labor and interdependence. In this chapter, we focus on one key challenge of interdependent work in organizations-unethical behavior-to illustrate how experiments have and can be used to advance the understanding of organizational behavior. The specific example of the study of unethical behavior serves the purpose of highlighting general principles about experimentation in organizational behavior research and pointing out how experiments can generate practical insights for organizations. We also examine why experimental methodology is not only the sole internally valid method but also often the most practical means of conducting research in organizational behavior. In so doing, we argue that the relative underuse of experiments by organizational behavior scholars is unfortunate and unnecessary. We advocate a greater use of experiments in organizational behavior research and propose that a combination of experimental and passive observational methodologies represents the most appropriate approach in most cases.

Keywords

Experiments, Methodology, Organizational behavior, Research design, Theory testing

Discipline

Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Laboratory Experiments in the Social Sciences

Editor

Webster, Murray; Sell, Jane

First Page

433

Last Page

447

ISBN

9780124051867

Identifier

10.1016/B978-0-12-404681-8.00019-4

Publisher

Academic Press

City or Country

London

External URL

http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780124051867

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-404681-8.00019-4

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