Executive learning exercise and trainer's notes for importance-performance analysis (IPA): Confronting validity issues

摘要

Purpose – Conceptual aspects of this research aim to review issues and to introduce new ways to employ importance-performance analysis (IPA), also called action-grid analysis (AGA), in formulating valid research. The purpose of the exercises is facilitating understanding how a variety of matters are important for research being valid. Design/methodology/approach – IPA/AGA, different types of IPA/AGA, and validity issues for these are introduced. Pursuing two types of IPA/AGA, based on different assumptions and thus distinct validity criteria, reinforces the need for new thinking regarding valid applications of IPA/AGA. Practically oriented training exercises reinforce understanding concepts introduced. Possible answers to exercises encourage thinking about matters that directly affect validity of actual research. Findings – Unless IPA/AGA research is well conceived, properly executed, and soundly analysed, implications derived may be misleading. Training exercises show the reader values and pitfalls of considering IPA/AGA in formulating practically oriented research. Research limitations/implications – A limitation of the research is that detail results are only presented for two of at least five types of IPA/AGA. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the overall understanding of the valid use of IPA/AGA as a tool in research. The paper also facilitates using IPA/AGA in teaching about research.