- 18 Nov 2009
- HBS Case
Customer Feedback Not on elBulli’s Menu
The world is beating a path to Chef Ferran Adrià's door at elBulli, but why? In professor Michael Norton's course, students learn about marketing from a business owner who says he doesn't care whether or not customers like his product. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 Sep 2009
- Working Paper Summaries
“I read Playboy for the articles”: Justifying and Rationalizing Questionable Preferences
We want others to find us good, fair, responsible and logical; and we place even more importance on thinking of ourselves this way. Therefore, when people behave in ways that might appear selfish, prejudiced, or perverted, they tend to engage a host of strategies designed to justify questionable behavior with rational excuses: "I hired my son because he's more qualified." "I promoted Ashley because she does a better job than Aisha." Or, "I read Playboy for the articles." In this chapter from a forthcoming book, HBS doctoral student Zoë Chance and professor Michael I. Norton describe various means of coping with one's own questionable behavior: through preemptive actions and concurrent strategies for re-framing uncomfortable situations, forgoing decisions, and forgetting those decisions altogether. Key concepts include: Because people do not want to be perceived as (or feel) unethical or immoral, they make excuses for their shameful behavior—even to themselves. People cope with their own questionable actions in a number of ways, from forgoing certain experiences to rationalizing, justifying, and forgetting—a remarkable range of strategies allowing them to maintain a clear conscience even under dubious circumstances. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Sep 2009
- Working Paper Summaries
Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior
Helping others takes countless forms and springs from countless motivations, from deep-rooted empathy to a more calculated desire for public recognition. Social scientists have identified a host of ways in which charitable behavior can lead to benefits for the giver, whether economically via tax breaks, socially via signaling one's wealth or status, or psychologically via experiencing well-being from helping. Charitable organizations have traditionally capitalized on all of these motivations for giving, with a recently emerging focus on highlighting the mood benefits of giving—the feelings of empowerment, joy, and inspiration that giving engenders. Indeed, if giving feels good, why not advertise the benefits of "self-interested giving," allowing people to experience that good feeling while increasing contributions to charity at the same time? HBS doctoral candidate Lalin Anik, Professor Michael I. Norton, and coauthors explore whether organizations that seek to increase charitable giving by advertising the benefits of giving are making claims supported by empirical research and, most importantly, whether such claims actually increase donations. Key concepts include: Happier people give more and giving makes people happier, such that happiness and giving may operate in a positive feedback loop (with happier people giving more, getting happier, and giving even more). At the same time, charitable organizations should be concerned about the possibility of crowding out their donors' proclivity to donate in the longer term by incentivizing them (via gifts, etc.) in the short term. While offering donors monetary or material incentives for giving may undermine generosity in the long term, preliminary research suggests that advertising the emotional benefits of prosocial behavior may leave these benefits intact and might even encourage individuals to give more. Future research is needed to disentangle the possible costs and benefits of self-interested giving. The authors are actively engaging charitable organizations to conduct these studies. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Nov 2008
- Research & Ideas
Decoding the Artful Sidestep
Do you notice when someone changes the subject after you ask them a question? If you don't always notice or even mind such conversational transformations, you're not alone. New research by Todd Rogers and Harvard Business School professor Michael I. Norton explores the common occurrence of "conversational blindness." Q&A with Rogers. Key concepts include: In the study, speakers who dodged a question suffered no ill will from their listeners and paid no price. People prefer, trust, and like a question-dodger who is smooth and sounds confident over a question-answerer who is unsmooth and stammers. If you're a listener who wants to avoid conversational blindness on important matters, here's a tip: Remember your question. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Oct 2008
- Working Paper Summaries
The Artful Dodger: Answering the Wrong Question the Right Way
Individuals frequently attempt to avoid questions they do not want to answer, from politicians dodging reporters' requests to clarify their position on when life begins, to employees sidestepping their bosses' questions as to why they are late for the third straight day. Rogers, a recent PhD grad from HBS, and Norton, an assistant professor in the Marketing unit, suggest that when faced with unwanted queries, question-dodgers sometimes exploit conversational blindness—a phenomenon whereby listeners fail to notice when speakers respond to a different question than the one they are asked—by responding with answers that seem to address the question asked, but which in fact address an entirely different question. In the context of political debates, two studies demonstrate conversational blindness, exploring both the conditions that impact the likelihood of such dodges going unnoticed, and how speakers' successful—and failed—attempts to capitalize on conversational blindness impact listeners' opinions of them. Key concepts include: Conversational blindness occurs in part because real-world conversations occur as a continuous ebb and flow, leaving little time for people to reflect on how every statement links to each previous statement. A successful dodge occurs when a speaker's answer to the wrong question is so compelling that the listener both forgets the right one, and rates the dodger positively. In some cases, speakers end up better off by answering the wrong question well rather than the right question poorly. These results add to the growing literature on people's surprising unawareness to changes in their environment. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Jun 2008
- Research & Ideas
Spending on Happiness
Money can't buy love but it can buy happiness—as long as it's spent on someone else. Research by Michael I. Norton and colleagues looks into how and why spending on others promotes happiness. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Nov 2007
- Working Paper Summaries
The “Fees → Savings” Link, or Purchasing Fifty Pounds of Pasta
Discount membership clubs have a large and growing presence in retail—one recent survey reported that Costco sells to 1 in every 11 people in the United States and Canada, and warehouse clubs are estimated to be a $120 billion industry today in the United States alone. As a result, many people have had the experience of entering one of these popular clubs and leaving hours later with more goods than can fit in their car. One rational reason for such behavior is that membership clubs do offer lower prices than other retailers. However, Norton and Lee offer a counterintuitive explanation for such buying behavior. They propose that the presence of membership fees alone—independent of the actual savings on any given product—can lead consumers to infer a "fees → savings" link, leading them to spend more than they otherwise would to capitalize on these perceived "great deals." Norton and Lee explore this phenomenon by setting up their own "membership clubs" and comparing profits across stores with varying membership fees. Key concepts include: Consumers behave irrationally in response to membership fees. When stores charge membership fees, consumers infer a "fees → savings" link due to their belief that stores that charge fees do so because they offer better prices. The presence of fees leads to increased spending. Consumers in the study were more likely to express a desire to shop at stores that charged fees than those that did not, even when products and savings were similar. With exceptions, there may be a curvilinear relationship between fees and savings: fees that are too low serve as a hook to make people pay more later; medium fees indicate good prices and decent quality and service; and high fees signal exclusivity and high prices. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Jul 2007
- Working Paper Summaries
The Persuasive Appeal of Stigma
Are minority groups more persuasive when their conversations with majority groups are conducted face-to-face? Interracial interactions are among the most perilous social occasions in contemporary America, full of opportunities for things to go awry. People in stigmatized groups, for instance, may worry that members of majority groups hold prejudiced attitudes that can lead to discriminatory or offensive behavior. Members of majority groups, for their part, may fear coming across as biased or racist. While psychology has traditionally explored the damaging effects of such interactions on social exchange, new findings contribute to the growing recognition that stigma may be a two-sided construct, marked with a host of costs but occasional benefits. This study demonstrates the persuasive power of stigmatized individuals and shows how self-presentational concerns may change attitudes. Key concepts include: During face-to-face interactions, stigmatized minorities may sometimes have an edge in persuading majority group members. The stigma of being labeled racist may in some situations be potent enough to promote an ironic power reversal. While whites may assume the more solicitous role typically associated with stigmatized minorities, it is important to add that the discomfort that accompanies such efforts may simply pose yet another problem for members of stigmatized groups to manage. This research underscores the need to examine social interactions around stigma in real-world contexts, from organizations to interpersonal relationships. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Aug 2006
- Research & Ideas
Online Match-Making with Virtual Dates
Users of online dating sites often struggle to find love because the sites themselves make it more difficult than it needs to be. To the rescue: Virtual Dates, an online ice-breaker from Jeana Frost of Boston University, Michael Norton of HBS, and Dan Ariely of MIT. Key concepts include: Technology influences the tone and trajectory of relationships. The interface of online dating sites should be improved to help people filter better. Virtual Dates is an experimental interface that allows couples to communicate in real time using colors, words, and images. The idea of virtual spaces for natural interactions may have applications for managers and entrepreneurs. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
Prosocial Spending and Well-Being: Cross-Cultural Evidence for a Psychological Universal
Can money buy happiness? Apparently it can--if that money is spent on someone else. New research shows that people around the world gain emotional benefits from using their financial resources to benefit others. The research, which included data from 136 countries, was conducted by Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Christopher P. Barrington-Leigh, and John Helliwell, University of British Columbia; Robert Biswas-Diener, Centre of Applied Positive Psychology; Imelda Kemeza, Mbarara University of Science & Technology; Paul Nyende, Makerere University; Claire Ashton-James, University of Groningen; and Michael I. Norton, Harvard Business School. Key concepts include: Much like eating or sex, generosity seems to generate positive feelings in almost everyone, regardless of cultural context. Survey respondents reported a greater sense of well-being after reflecting on a time when they spent money on others rather than on themselves. Although spending money on others differs in both form and frequency in poor versus rich countries, the emotional consequences are consistently positive. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.