Have you ever wondered what it really means when a threshold of p < .10 versus a p < .05 is used for significance hypothesis testing? (Hint: It’s related to the risks involved as organizations implement management practices. It’s not about whether the effect is “more/less significant” nor whether reviewers would find the results “more/less credible.”)
Have you ever wondered why some people will argue that our research should be value-free, while considering organizational values for performance and profit-making as acceptable (and oftentimes taken-for-granted)? Have you also wondered to what extent researchers’ own values (e.g., values for achievement, status, or societal welfare) have played a role in their scientific work?
Have you ever wondered if there is a parallel between translating physics knowledge to engineering practices, biochemical knowledge to medical practices, and management knowledge from your own studies to managerial practices?
If you find any of the above questions intriguing, you will find the course delightful, just as I did. I did not find definitive answers on all the topics, but the interactive discussions and the relevant readings, helped me expand my perspectives to think through these complex issues.
Perhaps these issues do not seem apparent in our day-to-day research. Yet, through the learning in this course, I have come to realize how deeply embedded these issues are in many of our research decisions. Just because we are not always conscious of the implications and influences of our decisions and actions, the impact nevertheless exists. I appreciate the opportunity and the safe space in which I could learn to be more mindful of what we really do as social scientists.
Of course, it was also a lot of fun to make friends with a bunch of inspiring and friendly faculty and peers from around the world!