Evidence Based Management

EVIDENCE BASED MANAGEMENT

Managers tend to draw conclusions from evidence that is provided and hence this has an influence on the decisions they make; but to what extent is the evidence true, is not their concern. Evidence-based management is a process that reduces the risk of referring to misleading data by making use of “four sources of information: The best available scientific evidence, Organizational evidence and characteristics, Stakeholders values and concerns, Practitioner expertise and Judgment" (1)

We are all aware of the bombing that took place in Boston on April 15th 2013, but what came as a shock were the suspects that were involved- educated, young men. Any education system would not want to encourage such acts, first because they want to avoid any anti-social elements and second because this could bring down their reputation. I work in the admissions department for MSIS program in my university, the existing method of accepting an applicant is simple- the candidate must meet all the requirements for the course and ofcorse, a gut feeling that he/she is come with a sole aim of pursuing a master’s degree. How correct can this instinct be? As a precautionary measure, I feel it is necessary to do a background check on the applicants to be on the safer side. We need to have evidence and not just a gut feeling before taking a decision on their admission. The factors that have to be considered before taking a decision, relate to the four sources of information that I’ve mention above. Along with the other necessary application documents, (such as transcripts, score-reports, passport copy etc.) a reputed psychologist’s report must present the stability of the student’s mind (best available scientific evidence). If the student has worked in an organization, feedback from various sources in the organization (or previous school) about the candidate’s behavior and other aspects must be considered (Organizational evidence and characteristics). To understand...