Reflections of Teaching Evidence-Based Management - Center for ...

materials include an appendix outlining the specifics of the literature searchstrategy (e.g., databases & keywords searched) and results (e.g., # of relevantstudies). More elaborate systematic reviews are possibilities for students’ EMBAsignature projects.The EMBA Signature Project includes the collection of primary data forapplied research or consulting purposes and provides a deeper application ofusing an EBMgt approach for students. Research involving data existing withinorganizations or other sources of secondary data are also possibilities forsignature projects. These are examples of “little e” evidence (Rousseau, 2006).To this point, our discussion of the search for the best available evidence hasfocused on “Big E” evidence (Rousseau, 2006) derived from formal research.However, it is important not to overlook evidence from the local context.Readings emphasizing local experimentation (e.g., Davenport, 2009; Pfeffer &Sutton, 2006a) and use of organizational data (e.g., Donaldson, 2011, thisvolume) can be assigned to support this perspective.Instruction on how to design, conduct, and interpret formal research fitwithin the mandate of a business research methods course, yet it is challenging toincorporate any array of practice opportunities within any single course. ThePreliminary Research Proposal is one reasonably integrated opportunity to thinkabout primary research and some of those projects could provide local contextevidence. More limited exercises have also been conducted to give studentspractice with Semi-Structured Interviewing and Statistical Analysis of existingdata sets. Data sets could come from an instructor’s previous research studies or1022