In Search of Evidence

Chapter 10
Are appraisal tools
developed in medicine
applicable to
management?
- Levels of evidence ✓
- Frameworks and
checklists ✓
Are the two domains
comparable?
- Researchability ✓
- Uniformity of practice ✓
- Professionalism ✗
- Practice-knowledge gap ✓
What can management
learn from evidence-based
medicine?
- Accessibility of
evidence ✓
- Uptake and
dissemination ✓
What is the current
quality of the scientific
evidence in
management?
- Internal validity ✗
- Generalizability ✓✗
MAIN QUESTION
Are the principles of
evidence-based
medicine applicable
to the field of
management?
What is the added value
of REAs for managers
and organizations?
- Practicality ✓
- Yield ✓
What are the basic
principles of evidencebased
management?
- Critical appraisal ✓
- Multiple sources ✓
- Probabilities ✓
Can you become an
evidence-based manager?
- Mindset ✓
- Skills ✓
What are managers’
attitudes and perceived
barriers to evidence-based
management?
- Attitudes ✓
- Barriers ✗
Some comments and final thoughts
In chapter 2 it is argued that the present situation in management shows a
striking number of similarities with the situation in medicine two decades ago. It is thus
reasonable to expect that the initiatives that ensured the propagation of evidencebased
practice in medicine will also make the difference in management. Some of the
key drivers listed in this chapter are:
• The development of courses on evidence- based practice
• Integration of the five-step approach of evidence-based practice into the medical
curriculum
• The publication of a handbook on how to practice and teach evidence-based
medicine.
• The introduction of the levels of evidence, which weigh evidence on the basis of
the internal validity of the research design,