Understanding Self-Report Bias in Organizational Behavior Research

Authors

Stewart I. Donaldson, Claremont Graduate UniversityFollow
Elisa J. Grant-Vallone, California State University - San Marcos

Document Type

Article

Department

Behavioral and Organizational Sciences (CGU), Community and Global Health (CGU)

Publication Date

12-2002

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Self-report and mono-method bias often threaten the validity of research conducted in business settings and thus hinder the development of theories of organizational behavior. This paper outlines a conceptual framework for understanding factors that influence the motivation of an employee to bias his or her responses to questions posed by organizational researchers. Using a longitudinal, multitrait-multimethod dataset, we illustrate various aspects of the problem and argue that traditional approaches for controlling self-report bias do not adequately prevent the problem. The results suggest the need for developing a theory of method effects and companion analytic techniques to improve the accuracy of psychological research in business settings.

Rights Information

© 2002 Springer

DOI

10.1023/A:1019637632584

Recommended Citation

Donaldson, S. I., & Grant-Vallone, E. J. (2002). Understanding self-report bias in organizational behavior research. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17(2), 245-262. doi: 10.1023/A:1019637632584