Reliability – are measures consistent => are the results of a study repeatable?

Replication – not common in business research


Validity – are conclusions well-founded?  Do they really show what they want to show

Measurement (or construct) validity – do measures reflect concepts?
IQ for intelligence
Internal validity – are causal relations between variables real?
Does the rising amount of storks in cities influence the rising birthrate in
Cities or not ?

External validity – can results be generalized beyond the research
setting?   Does a study on HRM within the Coca Cola company also apply
on Procter and Gamble ?


Ecological validity – are findings applicable to natural settings? 
As a researcher you create a certain laboratory situation, but you are
working with real people, organizations and settings

•Credibility, parallels internal validity - i.e. how believable are the findings?
•Transferability, parallels external validity - i.e. do the findings apply to other contexts?
•Dependability, parallels reliability - i.e. are the findings likely to apply at other times?
•Confirmability, parallels objectivity - i.e. has the investigator allowed his or her values to intrude to a high degree?