The Qualimetrics Approach: Observing the Complex Object (Research in Management Consulting)

Edited by Henri Savall and Véronique Zardet,
Institut de Socio-Economie des Entreprises et des Organisations
A volume in Research in Management Consulting
Series Editor Anthony F. Buono, Bentley University
The impetus for this work emerged from Savall's belief that there is a doubleloop
interaction between social and economic factors in organizations, between
behaviors and structures, and between the quality of life in organizations and their
economic performance. When managers underestimate this dynamic interaction, the
resulting tension ultimately manifests in lowered performance and increased costs, what
he refers to as the "hidden costs" of organizational life. Only by delving into the depths
of these organizational dynamics can we hope to fully understand - and create the basis for improving - organizational
performance.
The Qualimetrics Approach presents a different and challenging way of thinking about analyzing organizations,
one that draws together quantitative information, financial analysis and qualitative insights into organizational dynamics.
As Savall and Zardet argue, to gain a true understanding of what is happening in organizations, intervener-researchers must
focus on all three perspectives, as ignoring any one of them will lead to incomplete understandings. Their approach
underscores the importance of using qualitative data to validate quantitative
depictions ("the numbers") of organizational performance in understanding the
construction of financial statements. The strength of Savall and Zardet's approach is
that it pushes us to go deeper, to fully understand the narratives underlying the
numbers and the social construction of our financial assessments.