Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  Self report measure for task performance while alleviating spurious relationships

    Posted 04-04-2012 07:57
    Dear colleagues,
     
    I'm currently working on a research project in which I study the determinants of task performance of individual employees. I do have access to a large organization in which I'm allowed to conduct my research. I'm not allowed, however, to use supervisor or peer ratings, nor am I allowed to use formal job assessments. 
     
    I'm more or less constrained to using self report measures for measuring task performance and its determinants. I'm wondering if there are ways to alleviate the potential of a spurious relationship due to common source/method that you are familiar with, taking into account the constraints I'm currently facing.
     
    I will collate the responses and send them back to the list. Thank you very much.
     
    Kind regards, 
    Dennis Veltrop
     
    Department of HRM&OB
    Department of Accountancy
    University of Groningen 
    The Netherlands


  • 2.  Self report measure for task performance while alleviating spurious relationships

    Posted 04-05-2012 09:20
    Hi Dennis,

       To the extent that issues such as social desirability plays a part in creating method bias (see Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Lee, & Podsakoff, 2003), you might refer to strategies offered by Fowler (1995).  His perspective is in making it "ok" to be a poor performer by making statements in the preamble to the question that acknowledge that situational constraints can impede performance (among others).  This strategy has worked for improving accuracy of self-reported voting and library use (the Fowler book contains cites to this effect).  A link to the Fowler book is below (on amazon).


      Hope this helps,

    - joe

    Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879


    Joseph Nicholas Luchman, M.A.
    ----
    Senior Research Associate | Fors Marsh Group
    Desk: 571 858 3770
    Email: jluchman@forsmarshgroup.com
    forsmarshgroup.com
    ----
    Doctoral Candidate
    Industrial Organizational Psychology
    George Mason University
    http://sites.google.com/site/jluchman/

    "The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor."
    - Donald T. Campbell



    2012/4/4 D.B.Veltrop <d.veltrop@rug.nl>
    Dear colleagues,
     
    I'm currently working on a research project in which I study the determinants of task performance of individual employees. I do have access to a large organization in which I'm allowed to conduct my research. I'm not allowed, however, to use supervisor or peer ratings, nor am I allowed to use formal job assessments. 
     
    I'm more or less constrained to using self report measures for measuring task performance and its determinants. I'm wondering if there are ways to alleviate the potential of a spurious relationship due to common source/method that you are familiar with, taking into account the constraints I'm currently facing.
     
    I will collate the responses and send them back to the list. Thank you very much.
     
    Kind regards, 
    Dennis Veltrop
     
    Department of HRM&OB
    Department of Accountancy
    University of Groningen 
    The Netherlands