- 06 Dec 2022
- Research & Ideas
Latest Isn’t Always Greatest: Why Product Updates Capture Consumers
Consumers can't pass up a product update—even if there's no improvement. Research by Leslie John, Michael Norton, and Ximena Garcia-Rada illustrates the powerful allure of change. Are we really that naïve?
- 24 Mar 2022
- Research & Ideas
Rituals at Work: Teams That Play Together Stay Together
Rituals—even seemingly silly ones—help employees bond and add meaning to their work, says research by Michael Norton, Francesca Gino, and colleagues. After two years of pandemic disruption, who wouldn't welcome a workday pick-me-up? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 26 Jan 2021
- Research & Ideas
A New Way to Cut Credit Card Debt: Pay Off One Purchase at a Time
Letting credit card customers pay back specific purchases encourages borrowers to go beyond the minimum, says research by Michael Norton and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 Dec 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
'Repayment-by-Purchase' Helps Consumers to Reduce Credit Card Debt
Many consumers fail to pay off credit card debt each month and suffer financial consequences. Repayment-by-purchase, allocating payment toward specific purchases on a credit card bill, helps consumers gain a sense of progress and control over credit card debt.
- 30 Aug 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Consumers Punish Firms that Cut Employee Pay in Response to COVID-19
In the wake of COVID-19, firms announced both employee furloughs and (typically small) CEO wage cuts. This research shows that firms’ treatment of employees matters far more to consumers than executive pay cuts.
- 01 Jun 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Spreading the Health: Americans' Estimated and Ideal Distributions of Death and Health(care)
Across varying political ideologies and income levels, Americans both underestimate the current extent of inequality of mortality and healthcare, and prefer each to be more equally distributed.
- 21 May 2020
- Research & Ideas
Fighting the COVID Blues: Advice from Business Research
Pandemic uncertainty doesn't have to spell doom. Happiness experts at Harvard Business School offer these research-based strategies for managing stress. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Oct 2019
- Research & Ideas
‘Chick Beer’ for Women? Why Gender Marketing Repels More Than Sells
Just how far will women go to avoid products labeled "for women?" Research by Leslie K. John and colleagues explores why gender marketing usually offends the very people a company is trying to attract. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 27 Jun 2019
- Research & Ideas
Rituals Strengthen Couples. Here’s Why They’re Good for Business, Too
Couples with deliberate rituals feel more satisfied with their relationships, says research by Michael I. Norton and Ximena Garcia-Rada. Can businesses benefit? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 29 Apr 2019
- Research & Ideas
Is the Digital Age Making Us Petty?
Mobile payment apps help us keep track of shared costs but may also frustrate personal relationships. Research into perceived pettiness by Tami Kim, Ting Zhang, and Michael I. Norton. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Calculators for Women: When Identity Appeals Provoke Backlash
With calculators targeted to women and laundry products aimed at men, examples of identity-based labeling—or “identity appeals”—abound in advertising and marketing. Five studies show when and why such identity appeals backfire. Identity appeals may fail equally whether they evoke negative or just milder stereotypes.
- 04 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Revision Bias
Companies often release revised editions of books, director’s cuts of movies, and technological updates, on the assumption that revising products and services leads to better outcomes. Nine studies, however, document the revision bias: the tendency to prefer things that were revised, regardless of whether the revised versions are objectively better than their predecessors.
- 15 Oct 2018
- Research & Ideas
Shaky Business: How Handshakes Win Negotiations
A handshake before a negotiation can have a surprisingly strong effect on the outcome, according to Michael Norton, Francesca Gino, and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Oct 2018
- Research & Ideas
The Legacy of Boaty McBoatface: Beware of Customers Who Vote
Companies that encourage consumers to vote online should be forewarned—they may expect more than you promise, according to research by Michael Norton, Leslie John, and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 16 Mar 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Amount and Diversity of Digital Emotional Expression Predicts Happiness
Emoticons might seem trivial because they require just the tap of a finger, but this study shows how emoticons make a difference in overall emotion expression. People use emoticons to highlight the emotions they intend to convey, and emoticons also serve as predictors—and causes—of happiness and well-being.
- 15 Mar 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Backhanded Compliments: How Negative Comparisons Undermine Flattery
Backhanded compliments seem like praise but can leave a sting. This study explores the psychology of backhanded compliments. Flatterers deploy backhanded compliments to garner liking while conveying social status. Recipients view praise of this kind as strategic put-downs and penalize would-be flatterers even as the backhanded compliment undermines their motivation and perseverance.
- 13 Nov 2017
- Research & Ideas
Want to Be Happier? Spend Some Money on Avoiding Household Chores
In an age of time scarcity, buying our way out of the negative moments in the day is an important key to happiness, according to research by Ashley V. Whillans, Michael I. Norton, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Paul Smeets, and Rene Bekkers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Aug 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 15, 2017
You’ll come around ... Is a deeply religious business culture ready for an acquisition? ... How historians should look at emerging markets
- 01 Aug 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 1
The surprising consequences of brand flirtation ... Is the Watson strategy working at IBM? ... What managers owe society.
How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle
People need all kinds of relationships to thrive: partners, acquaintances, colleagues, and family. Research by Michael Norton and Alison Wood Brooks offers new reasons to pick up the phone and reconnect with that old friend from home.