Evidence-based management (EBM) refers to an effort to better inform practice with empirical findings and also to make stronger connections within the field of industrial-organizational psychology, essentially bridging the gap between science and practice. A call from Rousseau (2007) lays out a framework for the potential tasks associated with such an effort and proposes specific benefits that our field might reap.
SUGGESTED EBM TASKS
- Review current research and present plain-languagesummariesin an easily accessible online format.
- Analyze reviews within a given topic area to provide insight on practical inquiries (e.g., effects of bonus pay, leadership training, or downsizing).
- Include case studiesabout practitioner struggles/success in implementing the scientific findings to aid others experiencing resistance.
- Provide interactive features to foster procedural knowledge, meaning knowledge of how to do something (e.g., describing conditions under which findings might be more or less applicable).
PROPOSED OUTCOMES
The author proposed that this type of collaboration will result in an impartial “seal of approval” for current research findings, bolstered by professional partnerships with organizations such as SIOP or AOM. Subsequently, this will render solid research findings and implications more relevant and accessible to practitioners, potentially inhibiting the buying and selling of unsubstantiated claims and speculative interventions.
The I-O at Work website is a response to the repeated calls for a stronger alliance between scientists and practitioners. Through our research reviews, we aim to make our field more integrative and functional.
Rousseau, D. M. (2007). A sticky, leveraging, and scalable strategy for high-quality connections between organizational practice and science. Academy of Management Journal, 50(5), 1037-1042.