Behavior
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- 11 Oct 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Crime and Violence: Desensitization in Victims to Watching Criminal Events
Findings from an experiment show that victims of crimes become desensitized to violence in biological and cognitive ways. These results may help explain a troubling contradiction in Latin America: rising crime along with decreasing public concern about it. As the rate of crime victimization increases, a larger group of the population shares this increased desensitization.
- 09 Oct 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Habit Formation and Rational Addiction: A Field Experiment in Handwashing
This study in rural West Bengal considers the role of habituation in an essential but unpopular preventive health behavior: handwashing with soap. The study finds that frontloading both financial and social incentives facilitates habituation, and agents internalize this habitual nature. Findings help guide the design of optimal incentives to increase the adoption of positive habits.
- 07 Aug 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Governance Through Shame and Aspiration: Index Creation and Corporate Behavior in Japan
By exploiting the unique features of Japan’s JPX-Nikkei 400 index, this paper examines how membership in a stock index serves as a source of prestige that can motivate managers and influence corporate governance norms. Findings are important for understanding non-pecuniary mechanisms to induce meaningful changes in corporate behavior.
- 31 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
In Pursuit of Everyday Creativity
This paper describes the most compelling research trends around creativity and innovation. It suggests that 1) creative behavior of ordinary individuals is likely to become more important to the development of products and services, and 2) future studies should focus on such creative behavior—and related psychological states and environmental contexts—as it happens.
- 14 Jun 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Expressive Voting and Its Cost: Evidence from Runoffs with Two or Three Candidates
This paper highlights the motivations and consequences of citizens voting for lower-ranked candidates in elections held under plurality rule. Findings show that a large fraction of voters are what the authors call expressive. Expressive voters vote for their favorite candidate even if it causes the defeat of their second-best choice.
- 24 Aug 2016
- Research & Ideas
Behavioral Economists Can Make You a Healthier Consumer and Smarter Marketer
Video What’s behind the decisions we make, especially when it comes to eating well and losing weight? Can companies motivate employees to make healthier decisions? Leslie John discusses "interventions" to help people make better decisions when it comes to their health. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 18 May 2016
- Research & Ideas
Unethical Amnesia: Why We Tend to Forget Our Own Bad Behavior
Francesca Gino and Maryam Kouchaki show that engaging in bad behavior causes memories of those acts to gradually become less clear—a phenomenon they call “unethical amnesia.” Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 11 Jan 2016
- Research & Ideas
Is Group Loyalty a Force for Good or Evil?
Many organizations try to foster employee loyalty, but at a risk. Angus Hildreth, Francesca Gino, and Max Bazerman discover when group loyalty fosters ethical behavior—and when it fosters corruption. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 21 Dec 2015
- Working Paper Summaries
Wage Elasticities in Working and Volunteering: The Role of Reference Points in a Laboratory Study
Nonprofit organizations often rely on reference points—explicit or implicit targets and goals—to encourage more effort from volunteers. This study finds that effort does tend to cluster around reference levels, so this may be perceived as a very effective strategy. Yet reference levels can potentially backfire: in response to higher volunteer wages or productivity, volunteers may reduce their effort so as to meet the reference level.
- 23 Nov 2015
- Working Paper Summaries
Self Control and Commitment: Can Decreasing the Liquidity of a Savings Account Increase Deposits?
John Beshears and colleagues find evidence to show commitment accounts can help would-be savers with self-control problems.
- 01 Jun 2015
- Research & Ideas
The Surprising Benefits of Oversharing
In a social media culture that encourages sharing of embarrassing information, revealing too much can benefit individuals but hurt businesses. New research papers from Leslie John and Michael Luca help explain why. Open for comment; 10 Comment(s) posted.
- 14 May 2015
- Working Paper Summaries
Humblebragging: A Distinct-and Ineffective-Self-Presentation Strategy
To humblebrag is to make a boast sound like a complaint, as in the example, "It annoys me when people mistake me for a celebrity." Humblebragging is so common in social media and everyday life that one could assume it is an effective self-promotional tactic. Yet five studies show this tactic tends to backfire because it makes other people doubt the sincerity of the humblebragger. Indeed, straightforwardly bragging is the better way to go. The authors of this paper also examine the psychology underlying humblebragging as an impression management tactic and highlight the role of perceived sincerity in impression management. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.
- 16 Mar 2015
- Research & Ideas
Advice on Advice
To be effective leaders, we all need good advice, and we need to give good advice to others. Problem is, advice sharing is not as easy as it sounds, explain David Garvin and Joshua Margolis. Open for comment; 14 Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Dec 2014
- What Do You Think?
Can the Brilliant Jerk Be Managed Effectively?
SUMMING UP—"Brilliant jerks" dot every organization. But what to do about them? Jim Heskett's readers offer a range of remedies intended to capture their brilliant performance while reducing their toxic personalities. Closed for comment; 40 Comment(s) posted.
- 04 Feb 2014
- What Do You Think?
Has Listening Become a Lost Art?
Summing Up: Managers may have ears, but do they use them? Jim Heskett's readers offer opinions on why listening might be a lost art. Closed for comment; 30 Comment(s) posted.
- 07 Aug 2013
- What Do You Think?
Is There Still a Role for Judgment in Decision-Making?
Summing Up: Human judgment should be a part of all decisions, but play a dominant role in significantly fewer of them, according to many of Jim Heskett's readers. Is good old-fashioned intuition out of date? What do YOU think? Closed for comment; 47 Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Jun 2013
- Research & Ideas
The Power of Rituals in Life, Death, and Business
Experimental research by Michael I. Norton, Francesca Gino, and colleagues proves multiple benefits of using rituals. Not only do they have the power to alleviate grief, but they also serve to enhance the experience of consuming food—even something as mundane as a carrot. Closed for comment; 21 Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Apr 2013
- What Do You Think?
Will Women Leaders Influence the Way We Work?
Summing Up: Readers are split on Jim Heskett's question about whether men and women manage differently. Closed for comment; 28 Comment(s) posted.
- 20 Mar 2013
- Research & Ideas
How CEOs Sustain Higher-Ambition Goals
At a recent conference, executives underscored the importance of employee engagement, contributing to the community, and creating sustainable environment strategies. Closed for comment; 6 Comment(s) posted.
Shopping for Confirmation: How Disconfirming Feedback Shapes Social Networks
Managers who use feedback processes often assume that employees will respond to them with dutiful efforts to improve. This study finds that negative feedback instead causes employees to reshape their networks in order to shore up their professional and personal identity. This reshaping lowers performance—a result at odds with the goal of performance feedback.