HR Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An HR analyst uses a regression model to predict employee turnover. A high R-squared value indicates:
- The model's predictions are always accurate for every employee
- A large proportion of variance in turnover is explained by the predictor variables (Correct answer)
- The model has no multicollinearity issues
- Statistical significance has been confirmed for all variables
Correct answer: A large proportion of variance in turnover is explained by the predictor variables
R-squared represents the proportion of variance in the outcome variable explained by the predictors in a regression model.
Question 2: Which sampling method would best ensure that survey responses represent all departments in a large tech company?
- Convenience sampling from employees who volunteer
- Snowball sampling starting from HR team members
- Stratified random sampling by department (Correct answer)
- Systematic sampling of every 10th person on a company list
Correct answer: Stratified random sampling by department
Stratified random sampling divides the population into departments and randomly samples within each, ensuring proportional representation.
Question 3: The practice of 'HARKing' in research refers to:
- Using hypotheses to guide data analysis from the start
- Hypothesizing After Results are Known, presenting post-hoc findings as a priori (Correct answer)
- Applying Bayesian inference to HR decision-making
- Withholding results that conflict with organizational goals
Correct answer: Hypothesizing After Results are Known, presenting post-hoc findings as a priori
HARKing (Hypothesizing After Results are Known) is a questionable research practice where analysts form hypotheses after seeing data, inflating false-positive rates.
Question 4: A company is evaluating two performance management software platforms. Which evaluation approach most effectively reduces selection bias?
- Asking the most experienced HR manager to choose based on intuition
- Conducting a blind pilot where evaluators don't know which platform they're rating (Correct answer)
- Selecting the vendor with the most customer testimonials
- Choosing the platform used by the most similar competitor
Correct answer: Conducting a blind pilot where evaluators don't know which platform they're rating
Blind evaluation prevents evaluators from being influenced by brand reputation or expectations, reducing selection bias.
Question 5: In the context of HR research, what does 'reliability' refer to?
- Whether a measure accurately reflects the true construct being studied
- The consistency of a measurement tool across repeated administrations (Correct answer)
- The degree to which findings can be generalized to other organizations
- Whether the research design follows ethical guidelines
Correct answer: The consistency of a measurement tool across repeated administrations
Reliability refers to the consistency and repeatability of a measurement — a reliable tool produces similar results under similar conditions.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes a 'confounding variable' in an HR study examining training impact on performance?
- The pre-training performance scores of participants
- A third variable, like manager quality, that influences both training participation and performance (Correct answer)
- The statistical method used to analyze the data
- The number of training hours completed by each employee
Correct answer: A third variable, like manager quality, that influences both training participation and performance
A confounding variable is related to both the independent and dependent variable, making it difficult to isolate the true effect of training.
Question 7: An HR team wants to evaluate whether a diversity hiring initiative changed the demographic composition of new hires. Which statistical test is most appropriate?
- Pearson correlation coefficient
- Independent samples t-test
- Chi-square test of independence (Correct answer)
- Linear regression analysis
Correct answer: Chi-square test of independence
The chi-square test evaluates whether observed categorical frequencies (demographic categories) differ significantly from expected frequencies.
HR Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3
An HR analyst uses a regression model to predict employee turnover.
A high R-squared value indicates: