First decade of Orm: Trends in design, measurement, and data-analysis topics

Abstract

We conducted a content analysis of the 193 articles published in the first 10 volumes (1998-2007) of Organizational Research Methods (ORM). To do so, we created the most comprehensive research methods taxonomy available to date, including quantitative and qualitative approaches, to categorize design, measurement, and data-analysis topics. Over the 10-year period, the most popular quantitative topics are surveys, temporal issues, and electronic/Web research (design), validity, reliability, and level of analysis of the dependent variable (measurement), and multiple regression/correlation, structural equation modeling, and multilevel research (analysis). The most popular qualitative topics are interpretive, policy capturing, and action research (design), surveys and reliability (measurement), and interpretive, policy capturing, and content analysis (analysis). Results also show several upward trends in the attention devoted to topics such as surveys and electronic/Web research, interpretive, and action research (design), level of analysis of the dependent variable and validity (measurement), and multilevel research (analysis). These results show similarities but also notable differences in relation to previously published reviews of the research methods that are reported in substantive journals. Finally, we compared the topics published in ORM with the methodological tools needed to test influential theories in the organizational sciences. We discuss implications for training doctoral students, re-tooling researchers, future research on methodology, the advancement of the organizational sciences, and the extent to which ORM is fulfilling its mission.

Publication Title

Academy of Management 2008 Annual Meeting: The Questions We Ask, AOM 2008

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