10 Organisational buy-in
Before a trial, there is a need to get the organisation to buy into the trial and execute the experiment. Many proposed experiments have been scuttled by a failure to accept experimentation as a way of determining what works, by running into organisational barriers or by changes in priorities.
John List is a pioneer of the use of field experiments in economics. We have seen some of his experiments in this and previous units. He has run experiments involving airline pilots, traders, fisherman, card collectors and CEOs. He has even started his own company to test ideas around hiring and job performance.
In an article containing tips on how to run a field experiment (List, 2011), he offered the following ideas:
Have a champion within the organization — the higher up the better: Make the experiment a “we” project instead of an “us versus them” pursuit. Senior champions can be the catalyst for others in the organisation to help.
Understand organizational dynamics: If someone is hampering your efforts, turn this person to your side. Insiders can always find a way to stop your field experiment.
Organizations that have “skin in the game” are more likely to execute your design and use your results to further organizational objectives: If the organization has invested resources, even sunk costs, the organisation is more likely to complete the project and use the results afterwards.
Run the field experiment yesterday rather than tomorrow: If you have an open window, take advantage of it as the unexpected will often close it.
Change the nature of the discussion of the cost of the experiment: Counter claims that the experiment will cost the firm too much money with a response that we are “costing” the firm too much money by not experimenting.
Make clear that you do not have all the answers: An organization may not welcome an outsider who claims to arrive with all of the answers. Rather, say that you have the tools to discover them.
Be open to running experiments that might not provide high-powered research findings in the short run: Get your foot in the door by conducting experiments that are not intellectually satisfying so you can run more intellectually interesting experiments in the future.