The Importance of Trial and Error

Above is a great video of Tim Harford speaking about the importance of using a Trial and Error approach to business solutions, and discouraging the use of 'Office Guru's' or as he calls it 'The God Complex' - People who's knowledge is beyond question.

Since 1998 the use of Evidence Based Decision making to improve business performance has really taken off. However, the majority of literature finds little support for the argument that EB decision making actually improves performance. It is argued that the main reason for this failure in EB is due to decision makers falling to this God Complex, rather than experimenting.

I however argue, is scientific experimentation the only method to validate knowledge in an organisational context, for a positivist approach is rarely applicable in the social world.