The Crucial Role of Replication in Robust and Reliable Research

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    Richard A. Bettis (Rich)

    Ellison Distinguished Professor
    Kenan-Flagler Business School
    University of North Carolina
    Chapel Hill, NC 27599
    Phone: 919-962-3165
    Email Rich

    Rich Bettis is the Ellison Distinguished Professor in the Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department of the University of North Carolina. His current research interests revolve around behavioral strategy, heuristics, organizationally intractable decisions, complexity, improper use of statistics, and limits on the data generating processes that linear statistical models can handle within acceptable error bounds.

    He and C.K. Prahalad won the first SMJ Dan and Mary Lou Schendel Best Paper Prize in 1993. He served as an associate editor of SMJ for 11 years and as co-editor for 9 years. He also held associate editor positions at Management Science and Academy of Management Review. He served on the SMS Board, including one term as President. He won the SMS Distinguished Service Award on 2016. He also served on the AOM Board.


Abstract:
I discuss the importance of replication in view of Popper’s falsifiability criterion and compelling evidence that a considerable amount of empirical research does not replicate. Dysfunctional practices and professional norms that increase the necessity for replication are discussed. A replication typology is developed and detailed. Two emerging replication issues are discussed.

Digital Reader: Resources Recommended by the Speaker:

  • Bettis, RA, CE Helfat, and JM Shaver. 2016. “The necessity, logic, and forms of replication,” Strategic Management Journal, 37: 2193–2203
  • Bettis, RA, S Ethiraj, A Gambardella CE Helfat, and W Mitchell. 2016. Strategic Management Journal, 37: 257-261.