Presentation by Claire Gubbins, Dublin City University

1. Introducing EBM to DCU:
From small start to influencing
Business School Curriculum Reform
Dr. Claire Gubbins
Associate Professor of
Organisational Behaviour & HRM
Centre for Evidence Based Management Jamboree 2020
Email: claire.gubbins@dcu.ie

2. －Masters in HRM
－Module on Managing Organisational Learning & Knowledge
－Executive MBA
－Module on Managing People
Small Starts

3. －The Argument
－Quiz
－Evidence Based Medicine
－Decision Bias
－Discussing ‘Gut Instinct’
－Organisational Practices where evidence not used (MBA)
EBM perspective on Module:
Design Features

4. －The Content
－Five Habits
－Bringing evidence into the conversation…..
－Sources of Evidence
－Hierarchy
－5 Step Approach
－Formatting a Question- PICOC
－What is the Science behind & Evaluating Same?
－What is the Organisational Data behind X claim & Is it Reliable & Valid
－Integrate
－CAT
－Data Analytics to Regression
－Note NB- Module content was the foundation for all the above
EBM perspective on Module:
Design Features

5. －Assignment 1
－Identify if Scientific Evidence exists for the effectiveness
of….
－Assignment 2
－Identify the pro’s & con’s of each studies usefulness for
practice on….
－Assignment 3
－Identify within your organisation a strategic HR
decision/HR question which needs to be answered. You will
gather scientific evidence & organisational data to help
answer this question & make a decision.
－Lots of Feedback
EBM perspective on Module:
The Assignment

6. －Year 1
－No data analytics support
－The quality
－The external examiner feedback
－“This is an excellent assessment and indeed best practice. The written
feedback provided was very good and again an example of best practice”
EBM perspective on Module:
The Assignment

7. －The Argument
－USP in a competitive market
－Graduates need capacity not just to “understand” accounting,
economics, finance but also data/statistics & whether ‘evidence’ is
valid, reliable, fake news!
－Strategic Consulting Project capstone
－The wider Big Data, Data Analytics conversations
－We need to develop learning agile & adaptable graduates
－It’s a meta-competency
－X & Y Universities teach this at this level
－We criticise lack of engagement with scientific articles
－How I saw it work in the classroom by an expert
－How it worked in my module with MBA’s
Moving it up a notch: MBA Programme

8. －Year 2
－Online Modules from the Centre for Evidence Based
Management
－No data analytics support
－Enhanced strategic consulting projects
－Year 3
－MBA Programme Re-design
－Introduction to EBM in Induction
－Stand-alone EBM workshops
－Addition of Data Analytics components & lecturer
－Enhanced strategic consulting projects
－Online modules on both EBM & statistics from Centre
The MBA Programme: The Result

9. －Year 4
－Increased Data Analytics to a full module with assignments
－Year 5
－Data Analytics module with dedicated lecturer (statistician with
Psychology background)
－Where are we now?
The MBA Programme: The Result

10. －Assignments
－Comparing performance pre-post outsourcing
－Relationship between cultures & performance
－The impact of management style pre and post the removal of a perceived poor
manager
－Comparing fact-to-face project team performance with virtual working on same
project
－Impact of increased number of women on top team on organisational
performance
－Impact of requirement to have firearms on stress levels of police
－Impact of increased turnover on human error deviations
－Impact of pay on turnover
－Team based incentives versus individual incentives for sales performance
－Comparing extrinsically rewarded Product launch team with an intrinsically
rewarded team
The Real Result

11. －Feedback
－“has changed how I will approach business cases & decision making”
－“completely understand the power of evidence”
－Feedback is excellent”
－“I felt the three assignments are very effective in terms of learning and
teaching content”
－“Practicing evidence based research through the assignments was
valuable & worthwhile practice”
－“I now have an education….something I can use beyond the MBA, in
my work”
－Presidents Award for Teaching & Learning Nominations
on Teaching & Programme Management
The Real Result

12. －Business School Curriculum Reform Strategic Priority
－All undergraduate and postgraduate programmes
－3 new themes identified
－Module design
－EBM to be taught to mixed programmes of over 600 students
－Innovative delivery
－Large lectures & mini workshops
－Content from 1st year to 4th year
－Team taught due to diversity of undergraduate programmes
－Insights from Eric & Barbara
－A Workshop with Denise
The Influence

13. －The Bottom-up All-inclusive Approach to Design & Response
School Curriculum Reform

14. －How to Search for Evidence: Library & Research Skills
－Reviewing & Evaluating Evidence
－Identifying Bias
－Critical Thinking
－Complex Decision Making
1st Year Undergraduate:
Design Features

15. －Irelands corporation Tax & Apple
－Global warming
－The Gender pay gap doesn’t exist
－Ethical fashion
－Entrepreneurship cant be taught
1st Year Undergraduate:
Example Assignment Ideas

16. －Continue EBM spine from 1st -4th year undergraduate
－Introduce spine to all postgraduate programmes including
Doctoral programme
－Further visions
－Bringing evidence into the conversation…….
What’s Next