Improving Management Theory and Policy-Making Through Innovative Methods and Data

Abstract

Methods and data innovations have served as catalysts for theory advancement and policy-making throughout the evolution of management and many other fields. However, new methods take a long time to be diffused and adopted. The most common contemporary methods used in management research are similar to those used decades ago. Drawing upon theories of knowledge diffusion and adoption, we identify four barriers to the slow propagation of methodological innovations: (a) insufficient knowledge or skills, (b) inadequate adoption of technology, (c) outdated norms, and (d) inefficient incentives as well as inapplicable journal and professional organization policies. Then, to show the usefulness of the four-barrier framework for understanding slow diffusion and adoption, we focus on three selective methods and data innovations: Collection of Web-based (aka big) data, utilization of video-based methods, and use of computer-aided text analysis techniques. Our aim is not to create a “ gold rush ” for new methods or accelerate methodological and theoretical speed for their own sake, but to expand our collective methodological toolkit to develop and test more robust, replicable, accurate, predictive, and credible theory that will result in better-informed and more effective policy-making.