|
Activity Number:
|
345
|
|
Type:
|
Invited
|
|
Date/Time:
|
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
|
|
Sponsor:
|
Section on Government Statistics
|
| Abstract - #303074 |
|
Title:
|
Overcoming Extremeness: The Survey Innovator's Essential Task
|
|
Author(s):
|
Don A. Dillman*+
|
|
Companies:
|
Washington State University
|
|
Address:
|
133 Wilson Hall, Pullman, WA, 99164-4014,
|
|
Keywords:
|
innovation ; government surveys ; survey design
|
|
Abstract:
|
Too often innovation is thought of as getting rid of the old while embracing entirely new ways of doing things. An essential aspect of effective innovation in government agencies is to overcome extremeness of individuals, production units and administrative staff. This includes the extremeness of hanging onto old data collection procedures, which are inadequate, but would require changing deeply entrenched practices in multiple parts of an organization. Also included is the extremeness of adopting completely new design elements because they are considered best practice for new data collection modes. Extremeness in insisting on using only practices that have been proved effective through experimental testing or cognitive evaluations may also hamper effective innovation. Examples of the negative effects of extremeness will be provided and recommendations for effective innovation made.
|
