The Role of Evidence in General Managers’ Decision-making

Francis-Smythe, Jan, Robinson, Laurence and Ross, Catharine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2529-5469 (2013) The Role of Evidence in General Managers’ Decision-making. Journal of General Management, 38 (4). pp. 3-21. ISSN 0306-3070

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Abstract

This paper presents an overview of current academic theory on evidence-based management
(EBM) and considers the extent to which the decision-making processes of 39 senior, general
managers are consistent with this thinking. In the pursuit of this aim the study has utilised
inductive reasoning, qualitative data, purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews,
based upon the critical incident technique (Flanagan, 1954), to obtain detailed information
regarding the decision-making processes utilised by each of the interviewees in relation to their
most challenging managerial situations. It has been shown that these interviewees utilised only
one of the four main sources of evidence for management decision-making proposed by Briner
and Rousseau (2011). In the light of this finding, ways are identified in which managers may be
able to enhance their business practice by utilising more sources of evidence. In addition, the
study has also identified ways in which current academic thinking needs to be developed so that
it incorporates all of the practices that general managers have utilised. Finally, the implications
for general managers are discussed.

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