Is complex, ambiguous, and fluctuating social reality measurable? Sometimes yes, perhaps, but often not. At least not in the fairly straightforward way assumed by many researchers. This study is an ethnographic inquiry into data collection during a survey research project. Based on our observations of participants’ spontaneous thoughts and confusions as they filled in questionnaires on “leadership” and “teamwork”, we draw attention to hidden problems in much organizational research. Many respondents found measures ambiguous, irrelevant, or misleading. We (a) underline the inherently interpretative nature of research into complex organizational phenomena, (b) warn against lack of reflexivity and overreliance on existing survey instruments when we study complex social aspects of organizations, (c) identify five categories of possible problems, and (d) suggest paths towards better informed research that take context seriously.

中文翻译：

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数字背后：质疑问卷

复杂、模糊和波动的社会现实是否可以衡量？有时是的，也许，但通常不是。至少不是以许多研究人员所假设的相当直接的方式。这项研究是对调查研究项目期间数据收集的民族志调查。根据我们对参与者在填写“领导力”和“团队合作”问卷时自发的想法和困惑的观察，我们提请注意许多组织研究中隐藏的问题。许多受访者认为措施含糊不清、不相关或具有误导性。我们（a）强调对复杂组织现象研究的内在解释性质，（b）警告在我们研究组织的复杂社会方面时缺乏反思性和过度依赖现有调查工具，（c）确定五类可能的问题，