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Professional Development Workshop

Academy of Management Conference

Sponsors: RM, BPS, TIM, ENT

The Case Against Null Hypothesis Significance Testing: Flaws, Alternatives, and Action Plans

William H. Starbuck, University of Oregon
Eric Abrahamson, Columbia University

Samuel Holloway; University of Portland

Andreas Schwab, Iowa State University

Saturday, Aug 10, 2013 at 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM

WDW Coronado Springs Resort in Coronado T

Academy of Management Conference in Orlando, FL

The purpose of this workshop is to increase the awareness among management researchers of the severe limitations of Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) and to introduce alternative approaches based on effect size measures and confidence intervals. NHST has been criticized by methodologists on various grounds. Their criticism suggests that in the management literature, the extensive use of NHST in quantitative management research has led to the accumulation of deceptive findings. Consequently, management journals are full of "statistically significant" results that are both too small to be practically relevant and so small that they are unlikely to be replicated by other studies. In a field that aspires to provide useful advice to managers, we need to focus on practically important effects that are robust across a wide variety of settings.

To identify practically meaningful findings, methodologists have recommended the reporting of effect sizes and confidence intervals as an alternative to NHST.  Recently, approaches for estimating confidence intervals for effect size measures have also been introduced.  The application of alternatives to NHST by management researchers, however, has been limited by both a lack of sensitivity regarding the inherent problems of NHST and a limited familiarity with alternative approaches.  Our two-hour workshop addresses these issues in the following three modules:

• Critique of NHST
• Alternatives to NHST
• Round-table discussion for hands-on advice

No pre-registration is required to attend this session.
For further information on this session, please contact Andreas Schwab (aschwab@iastate.edu).

Professional Development Workshop at Academy of Management Conference

The Case Against Null Hypothesis Significance Testing: Flaws, Alternatives, and Action Plans

William H. Starbuck, University of Oregon
Eric Abrahamson, Columbia University

Samuel Holloway, University of Portland

Andreas Schwab, Iowa State University

Saturday, Aug 10, 2013 at 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM

WDW Coronado Springs Resort in Coronado T

Academy of Management Conference in Orlando, FL

No pre-registration is required to attend this session.

The purpose of this workshop is to increase the awareness among management researchers of the severe limitations of Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) and to introduce alternative approaches based on effect size measures and confidence intervals. NHST has been criticized by methodologists on various grounds. Their criticism suggests that in the management literature, the extensive use of NHST in quantitative management research has led to the accumulation of deceptive findings. Consequently, management journals are full of "statistically significant" results that are both too small to be practically relevant and so small that they are unlikely to be replicated by other studies. In a field that aspires to provide useful advice to managers, we need to focus on practically important effects that are robust across a wide variety of settings.

To identify practically meaningful findings, methodologists have recommended the reporting of effect sizes and confidence intervals as an alternative to NHST.  Recently, approaches for estimating confidence intervals for effect size measures have also been introduced.  The application of alternatives to NHST by management researchers, however, has been limited by both a lack of sensitivity regarding the inherent problems of NHST and a limited familiarity with alternative approaches.  Our two-hour workshop addresses these issues in the following three modules:

• Critique of NHST
• Alternatives to NHST
• Round-table discussion for hands-on advice

For further information on this session, please contact Andreas Schwab (aschwab@iastate.edu).