Evidence-Based

Management

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What is Evidence-Based
Management?
• ‘Evidence-based’ is a term that was originally coined in
the 1990s in the field of medicine, but today its principles
extend across disciplines, including management
• According to EBM, management decisions should be
based on a combination of critical thinking and the best
available evidence.
• Evidence includes information, facts or data supporting
(or contradicting) a claim, assumption or hypothesis.
• Evidence may come from scientific research, but internal
business information and even professional experience
can count as ‘evidence’.
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What Counts as Evidence?

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What are the Benefits of EBM?

• Helps to reduce error in judgment and biased decision

making
• Improves accountability and monitoring of outcomes
• Increases acceptability of decisions and credibility of
managers
• Encourages greater scrutiny of evidence quality
• Creates a more level-playing field since everyone can
contribute facts and evidence

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What are the Benefits of EBM?
“If taken seriously, evidence-based management can change
how every manager thinks and acts. It ….proceeds from the
premise that using better, deeper logic and employing facts, to
the extent possible, permits leaders to do their jobs more
effectively. We believe that facing the hard facts and truth about
what works and what doesn’t, understanding the dangerous half-
truths that constitute so much conventional wisdom about
management………. will help organizations perform better.”

Pfeffer & Sutton. (2006). Evidence-based management. Harvard

Business Review, January 2006.

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