Current Issues in Investigating Common Method Variance

Over the past 25 years, organizational researchers have demonstrated a consistent use of employee self-reports as a data collection method. As a result, they have been forced to address the problem of common method variance (CMV) and seek “a magic bullet that will silence editors and reviewers” (Spector & Brannick, 2010, p. 2). The problem that researchers face is the possibility that the use of a common measurement method when studying two or more variables may introduce artifactual covariance that leads to a conclusion that a substantive relationship exists when it does not (Podsakoff & Organ, 1986). Recently, Spector and Brannick (2010) noted that “the issues raised by method variance discussions are at the heart of our being able to draw appropriate inferences about observed relationships among our measures and what we can and cannot conclude from studies using single or multiple methods” (p. 2). Current research in this area has addressed questions of the amount of method variance, causes of method v...