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Presenting Post Hoc Hypotheses as A Priori: Ethical and Theoretical Issues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Kwok Leung
Kwok Leung*
Affiliation:
City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Abstract

Presenting post hoc hypotheses based on empirical findings as if they had been developed a priori seems common in management papers. The pure form of this practice is likely to breach research ethics and impede theoretical development by suppressing the falsification process. Two other forms may be more tolerable: deletion of rejected hypotheses and refinement of hypotheses inspired by empirical findings. To address this problem, the field should provide stronger recognition of replication, descriptive research, rejected and post hoc hypotheses, and critical tests of competing hypotheses. These positive changes require the concerted effort of researchers, management associations, and journal editors and reviewers.

Keywords

hypothetic-deductive methodpositivity biaspost hoc hypothesis假设ー演绎法积极性偏差事后假设
Type
Forum Articles
Information
Management and Organization Review , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , November 2011 , pp. 471 - 479
Copyright
Copyright © International Association for Chinese Management Research 2011

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