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

studies are imperfect, yet the Favorite Article Review assignment is meant to berelatively inspirational. Its purpose is to foster a mindset that is critical,constructive, and appreciative of well-executed research.We have tried a couple of variations of the Favorite Article Reviewassignment. In one version, students prepare papers of up to six double-spacedpages wherein they discuss the compelling features (e.g., exposition, design,measurement, analysis, interpretation, & implications) of their favorite of thetarget articles. They are asked to assume they are writing an award nominationfor that article. They are also asked to identify areas in which their favorite articleis deficient and suggest ways that future research could remedy those deficiencies.Brief descriptions of the other target articles can be included, but detailed reviewof all three articles is not required. Another version of this assignment asksstudents for a shorter write-up of the pros and cons of the target articles (e.g., onepage) in terms of usefulness to practice, along with a stated choice and rationalefor the one they see as most useful to practice. The pros and cons of each paperare subsequently discussed in class and the class votes on the most useful paper interms of informing management practice. Different instructors have also variedsomewhat in terms of the target readings assigned. To date three of the followingarticles have been used for this assignment, which also goes by the name Fun withEvidence or Award Winning and Otherwise Famous Studies: Audia, Locke, andSmith (2000); Frese, Garstf, and Fay (2007); Margolis and Molinsky (2008); andSutton and Rafaeli (1988). Instructors should be aware that some resourcefulstudents have used their literature search skills and found Frost and Stablein’s1028