Experimental Test of a

Authors: HELIN, ARTHUR F.; SOUDER, WILLIAM E.

Source: R&D Management, Volume 5, Supplement 1, 1 February 1975 , pp. 99-104(6)

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Abstract:

Abstract— In this study, fifteen managers and scientists experimented with the use of a Q-sort procedure for evaluating and prioritizing thirteen research projects. Q-sorting is a psychometric method for classifying items according to the opinions of a group of persons, and for evoking group consensus on these classifications. The procedure focuses on the rather natural individual opinion/group decision making process that must take place in project selection/evaluation. In general, the participants thought that Q-sorting was too imprecise to yield final decisions. However, progress was made toward organizational consensus, and the participants felt the procedure was valuable for facilitating scientist/scientist and the scientist-manager communications within the project evaluation process. It was therefore concluded that Q-sorting may be a valuable aid to the heuristic idea-exchange process that should accompany any formal project selection exercise. The results here suggest that Q-sorting may be a good procedure to facilitate the use of a mathematical project selection model.

Document Type: Original article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9310.1975.tb01361.x

Publication date: 1975-02-01