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When Student Samples Make Sense in Logistics Research
Author(s) -
Thomas Rodney W.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of business logistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.611
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 2158-1592
pISSN - 0735-3766
DOI - 10.1111/j.2158-1592.2011.01023.x
Subject(s) - homogeneous , control (management) , sampling (signal processing) , business , boundary (topology) , survey research , marketing , computer science , psychology , knowledge management , process management , applied psychology , artificial intelligence , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , filter (signal processing) , computer vision , thermodynamics
The use of student samples in logistics research is a controversial issue that often invokes vigorous debate among scholars. Critics of the practice claim that students are not able to realistically describe logistics phenomena and do not represent a generalizable cross‐section of practicing managers. These claims are valid for survey studies or qualitative methods that have traditionally dominated logistics research. However, in behavioral experiments that are focused on maximizing precision and control, student samples are often justified because of homogeneous sampling requirements and boundary conditions that include students within a theoretical framework. The objectives of this forward looking article are to explain when and why student samples are often appropriate in logistics research, generate additional discussion about the topic, and ultimately facilitate the growth of behavioral experimentation in logistics research.