We Know the Yin—But Where Is the Yang? Toward a Balanced Approach on Common Source Bias in Public Administration Scholarship

2017/03/15 by Bert George, Sanjay K. Pandey · 370 citations

paper · doi:10.1177/0734371x17698189

published in Review of Public Personnel Administration 37(2), 245-270 (SAGE Publications)

crossref issued 2017/03/15 · crossref published 2017/03/15 · crossref published-online 2017/03/15 · crossref created 2017/03/16 · crossref published-print 2017/06/01 · crossref deposited 2026/05/01 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01

Abstract

Surveys have long been a dominant instrument for data collection in public administration. However, it has become widely accepted in the last decade that the usage of a self-reported instrument to measure both the independent and dependent variables results in common source bias (CSB). In turn, CSB is argued to inflate correlations between variables, resulting in biased findings. Subsequently, a narrow blinkered approach on the usage of surveys as single data source has emerged. In this article, we argue that this approach has resulted in an unbalanced perspective on CSB. We argue that claims on CSB are exaggerated, draw upon selective evidence, and project what should be tentative inferences as certainty over large domains of inquiry. We also discuss the perceptual nature of some variables and measurement validity concerns in using archival data. In conclusion, we present a flowchart that public administration scholars can use to analyze CSB concerns.

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