A Norm of Evidence and Research in Decision‐making (NERD): Scale Development, Reliability, and Validity

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12995
• Date: 01 May 2019
• Author: Jeremy L. Hall,Gregg G. Van Ryzin
• Published date: 01 May 2019

A Norm of Evidence and Research in Decision-making (NERD): Scale Development, Reliability, and Validity 321

Abstract: Evidence-based management is on the rise as a strategy to promote more rational decision-making and

effectiveness in governance and public service delivery. To understand how widespread the use of evidence is among

managers in various settings, and why evidence is emphasized more in some settings than others, it is necessary to

have a good measure of the use of research and evidence in management decision-making. This article reports on the

development and testing of a new multi-item scale, Norm of Evidence and Research in Decision-making (NERD),

that can be used across organizational and functional settings to assess evidence-based management practices within

an agency. The results indicate that the scale is internally consistent (reliable) and that it correlates with criteria of the

underlying construct (valid). The article concludes with a discussion of the potential utility of the scale for advancing

research and understanding about the use of evidence by public and nonprofit managers.

Evidence for Practice

• A new, concise scale offers the opportunity to understand organizational norms associated with the use of

evidence in decision-making.

• The NERD scale provides a missing link to our understanding of organizational behavior, decision-making,

and policy formulation.

• Organizations that utilize or are seeking to utilize evidence in decision-making must be aware of their

organization’s norms of evidence use, and differences that may exist across divisions, in order to be most

effective.

• Organizations seeking to better utilize evidence in making objective decisions, informed by science, should

consider individual attitudes toward evidence when making staffing decisions; NERD may be an important

dimension in shaping person-organization fit.

A plethora of studies have sought to identify

the role of culture in agency behavior and

performance. More recently, attention has

been given to the use of evidence in agency decision-

making, with an eye toward understanding the extent

to which this evidence-based approach has penetrated

public and nonprofit organizations. Our study

provides a new tool for assessing the use of evidence in

making routine management and policy decisions. The

scale—which we call Norm of Evidence and Research

in Decision-making (NERD)—provides a gauge of

the degree to which an agency’s culture emphasizes

research approaches and scientific evidence. The

extent to which scores on the NERD scale vary offers

potential to better explain the use of evidence in a

variety of areas from human resource management to

finance and budgeting and service delivery.

We should begin by clarifying that there is no

derogatory meaning implied by the term “NERD”

and the trait it purports to measure. Indeed, popular

culture has begun to embrace so-called nerdy behavior

as endearing, as evidenced (no pun intended) by the

popular television program The Big Bang Theory.

Recent Earth Day marches featured signs and social

media campaigns that encouraged people to voice

their position by noting, “I’m with science.” An agency

with a high NERD score is one in which rational

thinkers, skilled in analytical approaches, and with

respect for scientific evidence, will feel comfortable.

Their work will be guided more by facts than

intuitions, and they will respect decisions and policies

backed by evidence rather than power or charisma.

Indeed, in our view, NERD measures a trait that is

very much a good thing for an organization to have.

At its core, evidence-based management is a new

approach to governance. It emphasizes knowledge

and fact over belief and values. Evidence-based

management has been widely embraced around

the globe (Pfeffer and Sutton 2006), in part as a

response to growing demands on governments

Jeremy L. Hall

University of Central Florida

Gregg G. Van Ryzin

Rutgers University–Newark

A Norm of Evidence and Research in Decision-making

(NERD): Scale Development, Reliability, and Validity

Research Article

Gregg G. Van Ryzin is professor in the

School of Public Affairs and Administration

at Rutgers University–Newark, where he

is also director of the PhD program and

codirector of the Center for Experimental

and Behavioral Public Administration.

E-mail: vanryzin@rutgers.edu

Jeremy L. Hall is professor of public

administration and MPA director at the

University of Central Florida and co-editor in

chief of Public Administration Review.

E-mail: jeremy.hall@ucf.edu

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 79, Iss. 3, pp. 321–329. © 2018 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.12995.