The Advantages and Limitations of Using Meta-analysis in Human Resource Management Research Dianna L. Stone a,b, ⁎, Patrick J. Rosopa c University at Albany, United States Virginia Tech, United States Clemson University, United States article info abstract This article provides an introduction to the special issue titled “Using meta-analysis to advance research in human resource management.” It begins by defining meta-analysis and considering the advantages and limitations of using this method in HRM research. For instance, we argued that meta-analysis is a valuable tool because (a) it provides a better estimate of the relation that exists in the population than single studies, (b) the estimates are more precise because there is an increased amount of data and statistical power, (c) hypothesis testing and biases associated with publications can be examined, and (d) it helps resolve inconsistencies in research, and identifies potential moderating or mediating variables. However, we also maintained that there are a number of limitations associated with the method. For example, the results of meta-analysis may be limited by the (a) selection of an incomplete set of studies, (b) inclusion of studies that lack internal, external, construct, and statistical conclusion validity, (c) presence of studies with small sample sizes, and (d) heterogeneity of methods used in studies that may lead to erroneous inferences. Finally, the article presents a brief review of the studies included in the special issue. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Meta-analysis Advantages Limitations Selection of studies Validity Small sample sizes Inappropriate inferences 1. Introduction Interest in understanding behavior in organizations can be traced to Aristotle's discussion of leadership in the 4th century BCE, and many of the books written on organizations in the late 1800s (e.g., Max Weber's book on “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, 1864). However, most of the empirical research in Human Resource Management (HRM) and Organizational Behavior (OB) emerged with Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management Theory in the early 1900s (Taylor, 1914). Subsequently, we have amassed a considerable amount of research on a wide range of theories and topics (e.g., motivation, job design, compen- sation, job attitudes, leadership, selection). Given the large number of empirical studies in our field, researchers have started combining the results of research in order to assess the degree to which research supports our theories, and enhances our understanding of behavior in organizations. For example, researchers are increasingly using meta-analysis to aggregate the results of empirical studies on key organizational phenomena (e.g., recruitment, selection, training, job attitudes). Meta-analysis can be defined as a set of statistical procedures Human Resource Management Review 27 (2017) 1–7 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: diannastone2015@gmail.com (D.L. Stone). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.09.001 1053-4822/© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Human Resource Management Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/humres