The Group Dynamics Q-Sort in Organizational Research: A New Method for Studying Familiar Problems

• Published in: Organizational research methods Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 107 - 139
• Main Authors: Peterson, Randall S., Owens, Pamela D., Martorana, Paul V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications 01-04-1999
• ISSN: 1094-4281; 1552-7425
• DOI: 10.1177/109442819922001

This article unveils a new research methodology for the study of group decision making in organizations—the group dynamics q-sort (GDQ). The GDQ is a 100-item instrument designed to study group process across a wide variety of situations and using a wide variety of data sources. It combines the descriptive richness of the qualitative approach with the rigor of a quantitative approach by creating a common data language to describe process across groups, observers, and time. This article introduces the GDQ in the following five sections: (a) the development of the group dynamics q-sort, (b) comparisons of the GDQ with other traditional research methods (i.e., questionnaires, case studies, experiments, and behavioral process coding), (c) the mechanics of employing the GDQ, (d) a demonstration of the method for studying dynamic group processes over time, and (e) summary and other potential applications of the method.