Justification for the Carzo-Yanouzas Experiment on Flat and Tall Structures

Abstract

The laboratory experiment involving flat and tall structures (Carzo and Yanouzas, 1969) was one of a series of studies (Carzo, 1963; Yanouzas, 1963; Cain, 1965; Jones, 1969; Carzo and Millman, 1970) which have simulated structural attributes of real organizations.' One attribute which has received much attention is tallness or flatness, previous research on its effects having been done in the field and data having been gathered by observation, interview and questionnaire. A laboratory experiment on tallness and flatness was undertaken on the premise that cause and effect could be determined better under controlled conditions. Although some real world conditions were simulated, the study was constrained by the requirements of laboratory research. The laboratory setting forces researchers to abstract much from the real world situation. College students are often used as subjects and are asked to perform functions in which they have had little or no experience. The setting is unreal because the environment is controlled. The subjects know that they are being observed and that their performance is being measured and recorded. Weick (1969) has placed these problems in their proper perspective. They need emphasis, however, because Hummon claims