30.08.2013 Views

pdf - Nyenrode Business Universiteit

pdf - Nyenrode Business Universiteit

pdf - Nyenrode Business Universiteit

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

4.3. SAMPLE AND MEASUREMENT 95<br />

4.3 Sample and Measurement<br />

The current section contains parts that are largely similar to parts of chapters 2 and 3.<br />

This section is similar because it uses the same survey instrument and, in part, the same<br />

measures. Subsections 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 and parts of subsection 4.3.3 are marked with an<br />

asterisk to indicate this repetition. The reader may wish to skip these parts.<br />

RPE use<br />

Information<br />

Asymmetry<br />

- Goal<br />

Ambiguity<br />

- Measurability of<br />

Outputs<br />

- Decentralization<br />

4.3.1 Sample(*)<br />

✻ Positive<br />

Figure 4.2: Causal Model<br />

Negative (H1)<br />

Positive<br />

Room for<br />

Managerial<br />

Opportunism<br />

This study uses primary data collected from 325 business units with an extensive survey<br />

instrument. The questionnaire was filled out by business unit managers contacted through<br />

students’ professional networks. This approach has several benefits. The first is respondent<br />

identification. The students were instructed to identify managers who are responsible<br />

for an autonomous organizational body engaged in multiple activities (e.g., purchasing,<br />

production, and sales). Furthermore, the respondent should have a superior within the<br />

organization (in other words, the respondent should not be the CEO). The second benefit<br />

is the possibility to conduct face-to-face interviews, which improves the respondent’s valid<br />

interpretation of and careful responding to the questions. During these interviews, the<br />

student can explain the survey questions (using a strict protocol provided by the researcher)<br />

✻<br />

❄<br />

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!