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6 - Organizational Research

from Part I - Quantitative Data Collection Sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2024

By
Victor E. Sojo  and
Melissa A. Wheeler
Edited by
John E. Edlund  and
Austin Lee Nichols
John E. Edlund
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
Austin Lee Nichols
Affiliation:
Central European University, Vienna
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Summary

This chapter focuses on the study of organizations as complex and dynamic social systems. We start our discussion of quantitative organizational research by outlining what organizations are and why we need to study them. We dive into doing research in organizations with specific focus on using theory to guide research methods and three critical organizational dimensions that should inform research design choices: units and levels of analysis, structures and hierarchies, and time and change. We then present and analyze the potential and limitations of descriptive, correlational, and experimental designs in organizational research, using contemporary examples of research to ground our analysis. We also cover data collection considerations, sampling strategies, and sources of organizational data. We close this chapter with discussions of equity issues, in particular ethics, diversity, and inclusion in organizational research.

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The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Volume 2: Performing Research
 , pp. 116 - 139
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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