John H. Batchelor

Questions About Questionable Research Practices in the Field of Management A Guest Commentary

The discussion regarding questionable research practices (QRPs) in management as well as the broader natural and social sciences has increased substantially in recent years. Despite the attention, questions remain regarding research norms and the implications for both theoretical and practical advancements. The aim of the current article is to address these issues in a question-and-answer format while drawing upon both past research and the results of a series of new studies conducted using a mixed-methods design. Our goal is to encourage a systematic, collegial, and constructive dialogue regarding QRPs in management research.

Unraveling the Complexities of Empathy Research: A Multi-Level Model of Empathy in Organizations

Abstract Purpose Empathy, or the process of feeling or knowing how another feels, is a critical component of social interactions, and may be of particular importance to organizational functioning. This chapter addresses a literature gap on empathy in organizational contexts by providing a review of empathy research in a management setting. Methodology/approach We integrate the developing field of empathy research and provide a conceptual framework built on Ashkanasy’s (2003) five levels of analysis in emotions research, emphasizing within-person, between-person, interpersonal, group-level, and organization-level processes. Findings Our model addresses the complaint that empathy definitions are not consistent by illustrating how the level of analysis alters the view of empathy’s role in organizations. Research implications This multi-level model of empathy provides a framework to identify gaps in the empathy literature and make recommendations for future research. Practical implications This new model of empathy will help practitioners use and understand empathy by providing a structure of how empathy is manifested in organizational settings. Originality/value The field of empathy research has been limited by inconsistent definitions and a lack of a model that outlines how empathy is used in organizations. This multi-level model of empathy provides the necessary framework for researchers and practitioners to advance the research and practice of empathy in organizations.

Rethinking family business education

Purpose – Family businesses consist of a family system, a business system, and an ownership system. Current undergraduate business education only prepares family business students with business system education, thereby leaving the student with a misconception of the environment in which they will work. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Business education must change to provide these students with an integrated curriculum that allows them to make connections across disciplines, and provides the additional soft skills and hard skills needed to accomplish the task. Findings – The authors propose a conception focussed curriculum to accomplish this task and make suggestions on how such a system might be implemented. Originality/value – This approach provides family business educators with a model that they can implement, thereby better preparing family business students for their return to their family work.

Microaggression, anxiety, trigger warnings, emotional reasoning, mental filtering, and intellectual homogeneity on campus: A study of what students think

ABSTRACT College campus life is changing based on pressures to create safe environments for students to learn. Much of this change has been outlined in an article by Lukianoff and Haidt entitled “The Coddling of the American Mind.” The authors of the present article asked 188 students from two universities if microaggressions, trigger warnings, emotional reasoning, and mental filtering are prevalent on campus and whether colleges are promoting these concepts. The results show that the majority of students believe that universities must change the way these concepts are addressed to prevent intellectual homogeneity and to adequately prepare them for their business professions.

The influence of organizational task environment and firm size on top-executive compensation contracts

This paper offers a fresh perspective on executive compensation by offering a new paradigm for choosing executive compensation structure based on environmental factors and firm size. This new perspective uses agency theory as a theoretical foundation. The availability of information, primarily information related to the agent, has typically been of utmost concern in the compensation selection process. However, a predominant focus on cognitive or behavioral information of the agent neglects the relative importance and impact of environmental forces in this process. This study evaluates the composition of the compensation contract using fluctuating environmental dimensions as the primary determinant. Specifically, we examine environmental munificence, dynamism, and complexity and the influence of varying levels of each of these variables and their interaction on the optimal choice of compensation contract utilized for both large firms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This externally focused view of compensation contract creation underscores the significance of environmental factors in determining contract selection while also acknowledging the necessity of principals utilizing information related to both the agent and the environment. Furthermore, we argue that top executive compensation structures for large organizations and non-adaptive SMEs should differ from those of adaptive SMEs.

Transforming a Trip Abroad Into an Experiential Exercise in Entrepreneurship

At some point in their careers, many professors ponder the idea of taking a group of students abroad. This notion is especially true for entrepreneurship professors interested in exposing students to international entrepreneurship. In this article, we discuss how a professor and a student organization turned organizing a study abroad trip to China into an experiential exercise in entrepreneurship by creating and managing a short-term business to fund and plan the trip. Specific recommendations for a new set of entrepreneurial experiential best practices are outlined and illustrated.