1. This week's error is Reverse Causality.

Definition: A direction of cause-and-effect contrary to a common presumption or to a two-way causal relationship.

HR Decision:

A team leader has noticed that most of his members are working from home lately. She has also realized that team performance has declined. She must decide if she should make everyone come into the office on a regular basis.

What two variables is he analyzing?

hours working from home

team performance

attrition

commute times

team communication

team satisfaction

2. What is the proposed relationship between the variables (the possible error)?

a. working from home is lowering performance

b. working from home is raising performance

c. working from home is lessening commute times

d. working from home is lowering team satisfaction

e. working from home is increasing team satisfaction

f. commute times are lowering team communication

g. commute times are increasing team satisfaction

h. attrition is lowering team performance

3. How might the relationship be explained differently? (More than one answer possible)

a. low team performance is causing people to work from home

b. low team performance is reducing team satisfaction

c. high team performance is causing people to work from home

d. commute times are causing people to work from home

e. low team satisfaction is causing people to work from home

f. low team performance is causing attrition

g. high team performance is lowering commute times

4. Statistical Error: Third Variable

Definition: In a cause and effect relationship, a third variable is a confounding variable that influences both the cause and effect. That is to say, your independent variable is the Cause and your dependent variable is the Effect. A Third variable is a confounding variable that influences both the independent and dependent variable. In essence, the third variable is causing both.

Using the same example of the team leader deciding if people should come into the office, consider:

What additional variable might explain the relationship?

How would this additional variable explain the relationship?

[To answer this: list a single third variable and include the explanation for how it would impact the two variables the team leader is analyzing]