William H. Glick

Common Methods Bias: Does Common Methods Variance Really Bias Results?

Methods variance and its effects are at the center of a debate in organizational science. Most of the debate, however, is focused on the prevalence of common methods variance and ignores common methods bias, or the divergence between observed and true relationships among constructs. This article assesses the level of common methods bias in all multitrait-multimethod correlation matrices published over a 12-year period in a set of six social science journals using a combination of structural equation modeling and meta-analysis. The results indicate that only 46% of the variation in measures is attributable to the constructs, that 32% of the observed variation in measures is attributable to common methods variance, and that common methods variance results in a 26% bias in the observed relationships among constructs. This level of bias is cause for concern but does not invalidate many research findings.

Fit, Equifinality, and Organizational Effectiveness: A Test of Two Configurational Theories

Mintzbergs and Miles and Snows configurational theories have both received widespread attention. Most researchers, however, have interpreted these theories in terms of categories of organizations rather than organizational configurations based on ideal types. We explicated the logical structure of configurational theories and developed a set of configurational fit models that are congruent with alternative assumptions of equifinality, which is the premise that multiple organizational forms are equally effective. Then the two theories were formalized with these models and tested empirically. Contrary to our expectations, the results do not support Mintzbergs theory that organizations will be more effective to the extent that they resemble his five ideal types. In contrast with these null results, configurational fit based on Miles and Snows theory predicted 24 percent of the variance in overall organizational effectiveness.

RETROSPECTIVE REPORTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH: A REEXAMINATION OF RECENT EVIDENCE

Retrospective reports of important organizational phenomena are commonly fused in strategic management and organization theory research. A recent study, however, suggested that these reports tend t...

COGNITIVE DIVERSITY AMONG UPPER-ECHELON EXECUTIVES: IMPLICATIONS FOR STRATEGIC DECISION PROCESSES

Diversity among executives is widely assumed to influence a firms strategic decision processes, but empirical research on this linkage has been virtually nonexistent. To partially fill the void, we drew upon three separate studies to examine the impact of executive diversity on comprehensiveness of strategic decision-making and extensiveness of strategic planning. Contrary to common assumptions of researchers and executives, our results suggest that executive diversity inhibits rather than promotes comprehensive examinations of current opportunities and threats, and inhibits rather than promotes extensive long-range planning. In light of the cumulative research showing that firm performance is related to both comprehensiveness and extensiveness, our results provide evidence for an indirect connection between executive diversity and firm performance. ? 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Organizational Actions in Response to Threats and Opportunities

In this study, we tested a model in which threats and opportunities lead directly to different organizational actions and compared it to a model in which organizational characteristics moderate organizational actions taken in response to threats and opportunities. To better understand these effects, we differentiated the dimensions of threat and opportunity associated with the threat-rigidity hypothesis from the dimensions associated with prospect theory. In this study, threats had the main and moderated effects predicted from the literature, but opportunities did not.

Organizational change and redesign : ideas and insights for improving performance

This book is the culmination of four years of the coordinated research of twelve business professors in management and organizational science. Their studies were directed at increasing an understanding of the relationships among organizational change, redesign, and performance. The book deals with the way in which organizational performance is affected by changes in the organizations environment, strategy, structure, and leadership, and how managerial effectiveness is influenced by managerial demographics, team structure, and communication processes. This book represents some of the finest authors currently working in the area of organizational change and performance.

Determinants of Executive Beliefs: Comparing Functional Conditioning and Social Influence

Executive beliefs influence strategic decision making in organizations, and thus they ultimately influence organization performance. The factors that might determine upper-echelon executive beliefs, however, have received scant empirical attention; certainly, little is known about their relative influence. In contrast to the oft-asserted influence of functional experiences, our results indicate that beliefs held by upper-echelon executives are better explained with an alternate theoretical model based on social influence. Our pattern of results indicates support for the argument that beliefs are socially reproduced through interaction among executives.

Functional Background as A Determinant of Executives' Selective Perception

What executives perceive influences their actions. These actions in turn affect the nature and performance of their organizations. Thus, what executives perceive is of interest to organizational sc...

Method Versus Substance: How Strong are Underlying Relationships Between Job Characteristics and Attitudinal Outcomes?

This study compared the relative strengths of the effects of method versus substance on relationships between job characteristics and attitudinal outcomes. Reports from both job incumbents and nonincumbents on job characteristics and job attitudes were compared for 509 employees of four organizations. Substantive relationships were observed between job characteristics and effort, supporting the job characteristics model. Common method effects, however, inflated relationships between job characteristics and affective outcomes, thereby supporting the social information processing model. Implications are discussed for other areas of organizational research that rely on single data sources.

Understanding Technology-Structure Relationships: Theory Development and Meta-Analytic Theory Testing

Theoretical models concerning technology-structure relationships typically are limited to one technology variable, one structure variable, and one contingency variable. This study draws on three de...