This episode was recorded live with three evidence-based management experts, Denise Rousseau, Rob Briner and Eric Barends, answering and discussing questions sent in by teachers and students of the subject.

During the disucssion, we touched on many aspects of evidence-based management, including:

• Starting with basic principles rather than complex frameworks makes evidence-based management accessible to busy professionals
• Problem identification is the most critical and often overlooked step in the evidence-based management process
• AI tools can support evidence-based decisions but require specific prompting and critical evaluation of outputs
• Evidence-based management works best as a team sport where colleagues help identify each other's blind spots - including biases
• Rather than trying to build a whole evidence-based culture, start with your sphere of influence and share evidence supportively
• Building evidence-based practices requires social networks of support within and outside organizations

If you have questions about evidence-based management that you'd like addressed in future episodes, please send them to us. We're planning to make "Ask the experts" a regular feature of the podcast.

Host:

Karen Plum

Guests:

• Eric Barends - Managing Director, Center of Evidence-Based Management
• Denise Rousseau, H J Heinz University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania, USA
• Rob Briner, Professor of Organisational Psychology, Queen Mary University of London; Associate Research Director at Corporate Research Forum

Contact:

Eric Barends, Managing Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management

The gap between management research and practice remains stubbornly wide, but a growing movement of dedicated educators is working to change that by embedding evidence-based management into university curricula. This episode explores their journeys, challenges, and successes.

We hear from three university teachers who have pioneered different approaches to teaching evidence-based management - from introducing elements into existing courses to creating entire programs centered around evidence-based decision-making.

Christina Rader from Colorado College shares how she gradually incorporated the approach into her classes and now has students working on real-world projects with local organizations.

Kemp Ellington from Appalachian State University explains how their department created a dedicated evidence-based management course as part of a curriculum overhaul focused on critical thinking and data literacy.

Mary Foster recounts how Morgan State University, a historically Black college, integrated evidence-based management as a core competency across multiple courses to develop skills that wouldn't be replaced by automation.

Eric Barends, Managing Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management, provides perspective on how his organization supports these "lone wolves" and curriculum champions, offering online course modules, consulting, and a network for teachers to share resources and experiences. He outlines the spectrum of implementation approaches, from introducing basic concepts in existing courses to fully embedding the methodology across entire programs.

The episode highlights both the challenges these educators face - from skeptical colleagues to administrative hurdles and financial considerations - and the profound rewards they find in equipping students with a structured approach to making better decisions. As AI and automation reshape the business landscape, these professors argue that the critical thinking skills at the heart of evidence-based management may be the most valuable assets graduates can bring to their future careers.

Whether you're an educator looking to incorporate evidence-based approaches into your teaching or simply someone interested in how management education is evolving to meet contemporary challenges, this conversation offers valuable insights into bridging the gap between research and practice in management.

Host:

Karen Plum

Guests:

Eric Barends PhD, Managing Director, Center of Evidence-Based Management

Kemp Ellington PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, North Carolina

Mary Foster PhD, Professor, retired from Morgan State University, Maryland

Christina Rader PhD, Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Economics and Business, Colorado College

Mentions:

• Center for Evidence-Based Management
• CEBMa Teachers Network
• CEBMa Online Course
• CEBMa Evidence-Based Management Podcast

Contact:

Eric Barends, Managing Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management

In teaching students how to gather and appraise evidence from scientific literature, it's important to guide them through the process step by step. Commonly referred to as a Critically Appraised Topic (or CAT), it's quite obviously a difficult process to do, let alone to teach.

Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management Eric Barends takes us through the process of teaching students how to run a CAT, drawing on many years experience and his own learning of what helps. Acknowledging right up front that "it's hard" and that students (along with everyone else) will make mistakes, Eric stresses the importance of adopting a learning approach, where people learn from mistakes, rather than a performance approach where the emphasis is on doing a perfect CAT.

We also hear from other teachers who share their insights on the process, and how they've helped students navigate this tricky territory, while acquiring a highly important, valuable skill. This is a valuable episode if you're looking for insights, tips and options for how to help your students with their CATs.

Host:

Karen Plum

Guests:

• Eric Barends - Managing Director, Center of Evidence-Based Management
• Tatiana Andreeva – Associate Professor at Maynooth University School of Business
• James O’Brien - Associate Professor at Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary's University
• Xander Lub - Professor Organizations in Digital Transformation at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands
• Denise Rousseau, H J Heinz University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania, USA

Mentions:

• Center for Evidence-Based Management
• CEBMa Teachers Network
• Guidelines for REAs and CATs
• CEBMa Online Course

Contact:

Eric Barends, Managing Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management