Date
UCL School of Management is delighted to welcome Professor Christian Troester, to host a research seminar discussing ‘Taking Control of the Control Condition: A Review of Control Conditions in Experimental Management Research’.
Abstract
Control conditions in experimental management research are crucial for establishing causal relationships by isolating the effects of independent variables (IVs) on dependent variables (DVs). Despite their importance, control conditions often receive little attention, leading to potential issues in study validity and conclusions. This review examines the current state of control condition selection and design in high-tier management journals from 2021 to 2023, providing a comprehensive typology of both true and pseudo-control conditions. True control conditions, such as no-treatment and treatment-as-usual, offer robust baselines for comparison. In contrast, pseudo-control conditions, including different treatment levels and active controls, can lead to false causal claims due to their inherent limitations. Our analysis shows that approximately 25% of the studies we reviewed presented causal claims that were not backed by their designs. This lack of support resulted in misinterpretation of their results and possibly exaggerated effect sizes. The lack of transparency and construct validity further exacerbates these issues. This paper contributes to the field by highlighting these problematic practices, offering guidelines for selecting and designing control conditions, and proposing best practices for enhancing transparency. I also discuss the implications of inadequate control conditions across various research domains, suggesting directions for future research. This study underscores the critical role of well-designed control conditions in advancing management theories and improving the accuracy of empirical research.