Evidence-based Management and Leadership

Organizations can be led and managed in many different ways and there is no shortage of perspectives, models, and frameworks for thinking about how such tasks can be accomplished. This chapter focuses on one such perspective: evidence-based management (EBMgt). At its core is the idea that when managers and organizations make decisions, evidence of various types should be collected, critically appraised, and taken into account. Put this way, EBMgt does not appear to be either new or radical. However, as we shall go on to discuss, recent attempts to elaborate and flesh out this idea show that while some of its core principles are unremarkable, actually doing EBMgt presents major challenges, threats, and opportunities. Far from being business as usual, using evidence seriously and systematically appears to represent a significant departure from what organizations typically do. This chapter starts with an account of the origins of the idea of evidence-based practice in other fields and how it has been adapted in the development of EBMgt. It then looks at the sometimes controversial notion of leadership and what we know about what managers and leaders do. We then consider the extent to which leaders, managers, and organizations are evidence-based in their approach to managing organizations and what can be done to further develop this approach. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges that managing in an evidence-based way present to leaders and to more traditional ways of thinking about what leadership entails

Evidence-Based Management in "Macro" Areas: The Case of Strategic Management

Despite its intuitive appeal, evidence-based management (EBMgt) faces unique challenges in "macro" areas such as Organization Theory and Strategy Management, which emphasize actions by organizations, and business and corporate leaders. The inherent focus on complex, multi-level and unique problems present serious challenges. EBMgt will nurture the establishment of a new model of research that is not only cumulative in its knowledge-building but also promotes engaged scholarship. Further, the uncertainty and conflict that characterize "macro" decision contexts heighten the need for EBMgt. We put forward four recommendations to advance EBMgt: (1) using more sophisticated meta-analyses; (2) providing syntheses that go beyond quantitative summaries; (3) engaging in a disciplined conversation about our implicit "levels of evidence" frameworks; and (4) developing decision supports.

Evidence-Based Management of Hand Eczema

Hand eczema is a common skin disease with a wide variation in morphology and a complex etiology based on endogenous and exogenous factors.The diagnosis of hand eczema is based on patient history, exposure assessment, physical examination, and the results of patch testing. Management of hand eczema starts with education of the patient on the etiology of the disease, and the needed changes in behavior regarding skin care and preventive measures, and avoidance of relevant exposure factors. In many cases, medical treatment is needed for successful management of the disease; use of medication can only be successful with proper education and avoidance of relevant exposure

Evidence-based management of chronic heart failure

Throughout the past 10 to 15 years, the therapeutic approach to heart failure has undergone considerable change. Current treatment not only concerns symptomatic improvement, but increasingly focuses on the prevention of disease progression and on reducing mortality. The understanding and acceptance of the need to prescribe therapies proven to be effective in large controlled trials is vital for the provision of optimal treatment for heart failure patients.peer-reviewe

Evidence-based management as a teaching method

La administración basada en la evidencia se inspira en la medicina basada en la evidencia. Ella proporciona un marco de referencia para seguir una lógica de actuación. Un problema exige conocer lo que deseamos hacer, la valoración de las consecuencias de una decisión y la información necesaria para actuar en un sentido. Se expone en que consiste la administración basada en la evidencia y su aplicación en la docencia. Se presentan los resultados de un estudio longitudinal, realizado entre los años 2000 y 2006, sobre la base del análisis de casos, para recoger un número adecuado de variables y conocer cómo se perciben estas por los alumnos en relación con la administración basada en la evidencia. Los alumnos valoraron la eficacia de la administración basada en la evidencia mediante un cuestionario soportado en la escala de Likert, con valores que van del 1 al 7. Los alumnos consideraron el método como «una buena manera de aprender de los errores de las empresas» y señalaron como inconveniente que «no siempre es bueno copiar a otras empresas».Evidence-based management is inspired in evidence-based medicine. Evidence-based management provides a frame of reference to follow a logic of performance. A problem demands to know what we want to do, the evaluation of the consequences of a decision and the necessary information, to act in a sense. The paper explains the concept of evidence-based management and its application to teaching. We present the results of a longitudinal study, conducted between 2000 and 2006, based on case analysis, to collect an adequate number of variables, and to know how they are perceived by students in connection with evidence-based management. The students rated the effectiveness of evidence-based management through a questionnaire based on Likert's scale with values ranging from 1 to 7. The students consider the method as "a good way to learn from the companies' errors" , indicating as a disadvantage "that it is not always good to copy other companies"

Evidence Based Management for Bologna Process Support

In the paper, author explains the evidence based management approach application for university education process audit and accreditation. The Bologna Process encourages universities to implement the National Qualification Framework, and student learning outcomes development. Author shares her own experiences and argues that learning outcomes provide the evidence of quality of educational processes. The paper aims to present that evidence based approach results in university education ontology development. The paper supports the methodology for evidence gathering at universities

Against evidence-based management, for management learning

Evidence-based management has been widely advocated in management studies. It has great ambition: all manner of organizational problems are held to be amenable to an evidence-based approach. With such ambition, however, has come a certain narrowness which risks restricting our ability to understand the diversity of problems in management studies. Indeed, in the longer term, such narrowness may limit our capacity to engage with many real-life issues in organizations. Having repeatedly heard the case for evidence-based management, we invite readers to weigh up the case against. We also set out an alternative direction - one that promotes intellectual pluralism and flexibility, the value of multiple perspectives, openness, dialogue, and the questioning of basic assumptions. These considerations are the antithesis of an evidence-based approach, but central to a fully rounded management education

An evidence-based management framework for business analytics

It is said that knowledge is power, yet often, decision makers ignore information that ought to be considered. The phenomenon known as Semmelweis reflex occurs when new knowledge is rejected because it contradicts established norms. The goal of evidence-based management (EBMgt) is to help overcome Semmelweis reflex by integrating evaluated external evidence with stakeholder preference, practitioner experiences, and context. This evaluated external evidence is the product of scientific research. In this paper, we demonstrate an EBMgt business analytics model that uses computer simulation to provide scientific evidence to help decision makers evaluate equipment replacement problems, specifically the parallel machine replacement problem. The business analytics application is demonstrated in the form of a fleet management problem for a state transportation agency. The resulting analysis uses real-world data allowing decision makers to unfreeze their current system, move to a new state, and re-freeze a new system