The use of evidence-based practice by leaders and managers

by | May 20, 2025 | business

 

 

Explain the use of evidence-based practice by leaders and managers?

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) for leaders and managers is a systematic approach to decision-making that involves using the best available evidence, critical thinking, and professional judgment to guide actions and achieve desired organizational outcomes. It’s a departure from relying solely on intuition, tradition, or anecdote, aiming instead for decisions that are more likely to be effective, fair, and sustainable.

At its core, EBP for leaders and managers mirrors the principles found in evidence-based medicine or psychology. It involves a continuous process of:

  1. Asking: Translating a practical issue or problem into an answerable question (e.g., “What’s the most effective way to improve employee engagement in our sales team?”).
  2. Acquiring: Systematically searching for and retrieving relevant evidence from various sources.
  3. Appraising: Critically evaluating the trustworthiness, relevance, and applicability of the acquired evidence.
  4. Aggregating: Weighing and synthesizing the different pieces of evidence, considering potential biases or limitations.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) for leaders and managers is a systematic approach to decision-making that involves using the best available evidence, critical thinking, and professional judgment to guide actions and achieve desired organizational outcomes. It’s a departure from relying solely on intuition, tradition, or anecdote, aiming instead for decisions that are more likely to be effective, fair, and sustainable.

At its core, EBP for leaders and managers mirrors the principles found in evidence-based medicine or psychology. It involves a continuous process of:

  1. Asking: Translating a practical issue or problem into an answerable question (e.g., “What’s the most effective way to improve employee engagement in our sales team?”).
  2. Acquiring: Systematically searching for and retrieving relevant evidence from various sources.
  3. Appraising: Critically evaluating the trustworthiness, relevance, and applicability of the acquired evidence.
  4. Aggregating: Weighing and synthesizing the different pieces of evidence, considering potential biases or limitations.
  1. Applying: Incorporating the synthesized evidence into the decision-making process, alongside organizational context and stakeholder values.
  2. Assessing: Evaluating the outcome of the decision and adjusting future actions based on the results.

Sources of Evidence for Leaders and Managers:

Unlike scientific research with controlled experiments, evidence in management often comes from a broader range of sources:

  • Scientific Literature: Peer-reviewed academic research in fields like organizational psychology, human resources, management science, economics, and behavioral economics. This is often considered the most reliable source due to its systematic methodology and peer review.
  • Organizational Data/Internal Data: This includes performance metrics, financial reports, HR data (turnover rates, absenteeism, training effectiveness), customer satisfaction surveys, operational efficiency data, and internal pilot programs.
  • Professional Expertise: The accumulated knowledge, experience, and judgment of leaders, managers, and seasoned practitioners within the organization and industry. This is valuable but should be critically examined and not solely relied upon.
  • Stakeholder Values and Concerns: The needs, preferences, and ethical considerations of employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, and the broader community. These values help shape what constitutes a “good” or “acceptable” outcome.

How Leaders and Managers Use Evidence-Based Practice:

Leaders (often focused on strategic direction, culture, and long-term vision):

  • Strategic Planning: Using market research, economic forecasts, competitive analysis, and internal capabilities assessments to set long-term goals and identify growth opportunities (e.g., analyzing industry trends and competitor data before deciding on a new market entry).
  • Culture Transformation: Researching best practices in organizational culture, employee engagement, diversity & inclusion, and leadership development to foster a desired work environment. They might look at studies on psychological safety or transformational leadership.
  • Resource Allocation: Using data on ROI, performance metrics, and market potential to decide where to invest capital, talent, and time.
  • Change Management: Drawing on evidence from change management theories and successful case studies to design effective strategies for implementing large-scale organizational changes, anticipating and addressing resistance.
  • Role Modeling: Leaders must embody EBP by demonstrating their commitment to data-driven decisions and critical thinking, encouraging their teams to do the same. They create a culture where questioning assumptions and seeking evidence is valued.

Managers (often focused on operational effectiveness, team performance, and day-to-day execution):

  • Hiring and Talent Management: Using validated assessment tools, structured interview techniques, and research on employee retention to make better hiring decisions and develop effective talent management strategies.
  • Performance Management: Basing performance review systems, feedback mechanisms, and goal-setting processes on evidence of what actually motivates and improves performance (e.g., research on goal-setting theory or constructive feedback).
  • Problem Solving: Diagnosing operational issues by collecting relevant data, analyzing root causes, and implementing solutions that have been shown to be effective in similar contexts, rather than relying on quick fixes or “gut feelings.”
  • Process Improvement: Utilizing data from process mapping, efficiency studies, and quality control metrics to optimize workflows and reduce waste (e.g., applying Lean Six Sigma principles, which are inherently evidence-based).
  • Team Dynamics: Researching effective team leadership, communication strategies, and conflict resolution techniques to build high-performing teams.
  • Budgeting and Financial Decisions: Analyzing financial data, cost-benefit analyses, and past project performance to make informed budget allocations and investment choices for their departments or projects.

Benefits of Evidence-Based Practice for Leaders and Managers:

  • Improved Decision Quality: Leads to more objective, informed, and effective decisions, reducing reliance on intuition, personal biases, or fads.
  • Increased Accountability: Decisions are more transparent and justifiable when backed by evidence, fostering a culture of accountability.
  • Better Organizational Outcomes: Research shows that organizations using EBP tend to have better financial performance, higher employee engagement, and improved customer satisfaction.
  • Reduced Risk and Costs: By implementing strategies proven to work, organizations can avoid costly mistakes, inefficient processes, and wasted resources.
  • Enhanced Credibility: Leaders and managers who use evidence gain credibility with their teams and stakeholders, as their decisions are seen as well-reasoned and grounded in reality.
  • Faster Problem Solving: A systematic approach helps to quickly identify relevant information and arrive at effective solutions.
  • Foster Innovation (Responsibly): While EBP emphasizes existing evidence, it also encourages leaders to treat new initiatives as experiments, collecting data to validate their effectiveness before wider rollout.

Challenges of Adopting Evidence-Based Practice:

  • Information Overload: The sheer volume of data and research can be overwhelming.
  • Access to Evidence: Relevant scientific literature may be behind paywalls or in academic language.
  • Time Constraints: Leaders and managers often face pressure for quick decisions, making the systematic search and appraisal of evidence challenging.
  • Resistance to Change: Relying on intuition or past experience can be deeply ingrained. Some may view EBP as undermining their “gut feeling” or expertise.
  • Contextual Differences: What works in one organization or industry may not directly apply to another without careful adaptation.
  • Ambiguity of Evidence: Evidence can be conflicting, incomplete, or not directly transferable to a specific organizational problem.
  • Lack of Skills: Managers may lack the training in critical appraisal, statistical analysis, or research methodology.

Despite these challenges, the increasing complexity and data-rich nature of modern business make evidence-based practice an indispensable approach for leaders and managers seeking to drive sustainable success and build resilient organizations.

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