(1986) Armenakis, Achilles A.; Buckley, M. Ronald; Bedeian, Arthur G.
Efforts to operationalize the alpha/beta/gamma
change typology have suffered from a notable limitation.
Virtually all have been conducted in field settings,
thereby limiting the degree of experimental control
over outcome criteria. Recognizing this limitation,
the present study employed a laboratory methodology
to investigate two research questions related to scale
recalibration (beta change) in temporal survey research.
Application of this methodology permitted random
respondent assignment, exact replication of stimuli,
and systematic time interval variation for the
pretest-posttest design. Furthermore, the use of these
procedures permitted testing the use of the retrospective
design in assessing organizational change. Implications
of the findings for the measurement of change
are discussed.
