Positive-Finding Bias in Positive-Findings Bias Research.

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Abstract
Terpstra (1981) reported a bias toward positive findings in OD research. A close examination of this study raised several major unresolved problems of the research methodology. A replication of this study, using published criteria for article selection and variable coding, found no evidence of positive-findings bias in OD research. Terpstra (1981) reported a positive-findings bias in organization development (OD) research in the form of an inverse relationship between methodology rigor and success outcomes: the better the study, the worse the results. If such bias is indeed present, it has important implications for the practice and evaluation of OD efforts. Charges of bias are particularly significant for OD because of the potential impact on the reputation of OD in both the scientific and user communities and on the long-term scientific progress of the field. Thus, there is a need for independent corroboration and replication of the Terpstra results.

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