An empirical technique for multilevel analysis in organizational research

Studies of business and social organizations tend to focus on a single organizational level such as the individual or the department. However, the interdependence of the various levels in organizations must be reflected in both theory and methodology if a more complete understanding of these structures is to be achieved. This paper describes a statistical procedure that can be used to conduct cross-level and multilevel research in organizations. This procedure is a derivation of the General Linear Model, and allows the researcher to align the focal unit and the level of analysis. Two applications of this technique are provided. The first shows how the technique can be used to help formulate theory. The second uses this procedure to test a hypothesis derived from existing theory.

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