Discussion: View Thread

Dear OB colleagues

It's good to see that someone is reading our research and applying our findings!

NY Times: New research reveals surprising truths about why some work groups thrive and others falter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

Cheers
Neal M. Ashkanasy, PhD
UQ Business School
The University of Queensland
Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
Phone: +617 3346-8006
Fax: +617 3346-8188
e-mail: n.ashkanasy@uq.edu.au
https://www.business.uq.edu.au/staff/details/neal-ashkanasy

Thanks Neal and others

Sounds like I'll have to physically go and hear them present at something - though presentations are usually short on detail, are about telling a nice story and leave time for proper reflection or analysis.

Some of us believe strongly that our research findings really should be put to more/better use - and SIOP, AoM and others have been going on about this for decades.  However, we have little good quality evidence about whether/how/if this is happening - just anecdotes.  I think it would be great if we had a better way of assessing the 'problem', what's happening over time and whether or not we're making a difference.  Without this it's difficult to know where to put our efforts to improve the situation.  It also gives the impression - probably justified - that we collectively don't take the 'problem' very seriously.

Cheers

Rob

Rob B Briner | Professor of Organizational Psychology | School of Management | University of Bath
Scientific Director | Center for Evidence-Based Management (www.cebma.org)
Twitter @Rob_Briner

-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Neal Ashkanasy
Sent: 28 February 2016 00:13
To: OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OB-LIST] FW: NYTimes: What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team

Hi Rob (and others who responded to my post)

I am just pleased to see that someone out there in the "real world" is reading and applying our findings, even if it is just a little bit.  Too often we are criticized for being totally irrelevant.

Regarding Kurt's observation that Google people attend SIOP conferences: Indeed, Google (and other megacorps) have been corresponding with my colleagues/students and me on some of the work we have presented.  More evidence that we really are making a difference out there.

Cheers
Neal Ashkanasy

-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Rob Briner
Sent: Saturday, 27 February 2016 6:27 PM
To: OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OB-LIST] FW: NYTimes: What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team

Hi Neal

Thanks for this.  I don't know about you or anyone else but I find all these stories from Google (and some other organizations) about how wonderful they are at using evidence and data a bit perplexing.  It always seems impossible to see, as it is in this article too, exactly what scientific findings they looked at, how they reviewed them, how they identified their quality and relevance, how they summarized or aggregated the evidence, and finally how and if they actually used it in their work.  Also, in other articles and interviews, Google imply they completely ignore published scientific evidence and only rely on their own (big) data.

I guess any story where any organization is saying how great it is at doing something needs to be taken with quite a large pinch of salt unless they are transparent and detailed about what they are doing and are open about their failures as well as successes.  Also, what is Google's motive for telling us this?

I'd be really interested to know if anyone has seen any transparent and detailed and critical account of what Google do around data and scientific evidence - it's doesn't seem to be in any of the public accounts I've seen but I could well be missing something.

Cheers

Rob

Rob B Briner | Professor of Organizational Psychology | School of Management | University of Bath Scientific Director | Center for Evidence-Based Management (www.cebma.org) Twitter @Rob_Briner

-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Neal Ashkanasy
Sent: 27 February 2016 00:29
To: OB@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: [OB-LIST] FW: NYTimes: What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team

Dear OB colleagues

It's good to see that someone is reading our research and applying our findings!

NY Times: New research reveals surprising truths about why some work groups thrive and others falter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

Cheers
Neal M. Ashkanasy, PhD
UQ Business School
The University of Queensland
Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
Phone: +617 3346-8006
Fax: +617 3346-8188
e-mail: n.ashkanasy@uq.edu.au
https://www.business.uq.edu.au/staff/details/neal-ashkanasy