Theresa Welbourne asks “Why isn’t pure measurement or data enough to drive action?” Action planning requires powerful research data and dialogue.
Research and Insights Archive
Research and Insights from the Center for Effective Organizations
Available Content
Testing a Business Model Including Nonfinancial Measures in the Homebuilding Industry
Clara Xiaoling Chen (University of Illinois), Melissa Martin (Arizona State University), and Kenneth A. Merchant (USC) test a business model that includes customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and financial performance from a company in the homebuilding industry for the period 2001-2004.
Why HR Practices are not Evidence-Based
Edward E. Lawler III (CEO) states that in short, most organizations do not practice evidence-based human resource management. As a result, they often under-perform with respect to their key stakeholders: employees, investors and the community.
Are Surveys “Evil”?
Using a model that spells out the differences between surveys and data and dialogue tools, Theresa M. Welbourne (eePulse) shows how it becomes clear how to move a survey or score-taking process to one that uses interactive dialogues and produce fast, measurable results.
Harnessing the Power of HR Analytics: Why Building HR’s Analytics Capability Can Help It Add Bottom-Line Value
In this article by Alec R. Levenson (CEO), the usefulness of ROI, cost-benefit, and impact analysis are compared.
HR Metrics and Analytics – Uses and Impacts
In this article by Edward E. Lawler III (CEO), Alec R. Levenson (CEO), and John W. Boudreau (CEO), whether and how the HR function in corporations uses metrics and analytics is studied.
Tapping the Full Potential of Human Resource Information Systems – Shifting the HR Paradigm from Service Delivery to a Talent Decision Science
John W. Boudreau (CEO) and Peter M. Ramstad (Personnel Decisions International) explain that the technical capabilities of human resource information systems (HRIS) are undeniable. HRIS vendors, service providers and their customers constantly find new ways to enhance the speed, capacity, accessibility and global reach of their systems.
Doing Research That is Useful to Practice: A Model and Empirical Exploration
Drawing from literature on knowledge transfer and cognition, S. Mohrman, C. Gibson, and A. Mohrman, Jr. develop a theoretical model for conducting research that is useful to practitioners. We explore the potential of this model by examining the usefulness of a research project involving ten companies.
Testing for Groupness: A Theory-Based Approach to Aggregation Issues in Work Group Research
In this paper, Diane E. Bailey, Eileen M. Van Aken, and Susan G. Cohen address the issue of aggregating individual employee level data to the work group level.
Systems are Not Solutions: Issues in Creating Information Systems that Account for the Human Organization
Edward E. Lawler III, Philip H. Mirvis
1981 (republished 1994)
The Use of Organizational Controls and Their Effects on Data Manipulation and Management Myopia: A U.S. vs Japan Comparison
Two prior papers by Merchant (1985b, 1990) have explored the use and effects of five management controls at the profit center level of a large U.S. firm. This study by Chee W. Chow, Yutaka Kato, and Kenneth A. Merchant extends the investigation to a cross-cultural context.
The Transfer of Human Resource Management Technology in Sino-US Cooperative Ventures: Problems and Solutions
In this paper by Mary Ann Von Glinow and Mary B. Teagarden, differences between Chinese and U.S. human resource management systems are described with respect to fundamental organization and work-related assumptions about people and performance, rewards, training and development, and educational background of HR practitioners.