Testing for mediating variables in management research: Concerns, implications, and alternative strategies

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211 Scopus citations

Abstract

Due to the nature of the data employed and of the concepts tested, standard tests for mediating variables in management research can often violate an assumption on which these tests are built. As a result, estimates from standard tests of mediating variables can often lack desirable statistical properties and lead to incorrect conclusions. This article highlights when data in management research will violate assumptions underlying tests of mediating variables, suggests an alternative strategy that provides better estimates, discusses the theoretical and empirical demands of the alternative strategy, and demonstrates the magnitude to which estimates improve by using the suggested approach.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)330-353
Number of pages24
JournalJournal of Management
Volume31
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2005

Keywords

  • Hypothesis test
  • Mediation
  • Missing variables
  • Research methods

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