The (Bounded) Role of Stated-Lived Value Congruence and Authenticity in Employee Evaluations of Organizations

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Deeds Pamphile, Vontrese; Ruttan, Rachel Lise

Abstract: A growing body of research documents that audiences reward organizations perceiv ... Expand

Abstract: A growing body of research documents that audiences reward organizations perceived to be authentic with positive evaluations. In the current work, we adopt a mixed-methods approach—using data collected from Glassdoor.com and two experiments—to establish that perceptions of authenticity are elicited by perceived congruence between an organization’s stated values (i.e., the values it claims to hold) and its lived values (i.e., values members perceive as embodied by the organization), which in turn lead to more positive organizational evaluations. We then explore the conditions under which audiences are less likely to respond favorably to organizational authenticity, finding that the positive effects of stated-lived value congruence on evaluations are attenuated when audiences have a lower preference for stated values. Although scholars have often explored whether and how organizations can successfully make themselves appear authentic to reap rewards, our findings suggest that the perceived authenticity that results from stated-lived value congruence may not prove fruitful unless the audience holds a higher preference for an organization’s stated values.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: This research was supported by the Interdisciplinary Research Award from the Management and Organizations Department at the Kellogg School of Management and by the Michael-Lee Chin Institute for Corporate Citizenship Research Grant from the Rotman School of Management.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1578. Collapse

Topics: innovation management organizational value online review website organizational success

Methods: experiment parametric test product review statistical power analysis two-way ANOVA

Theories: cognitive dissonance theory organizational behavior theory organizational theory psychological theory

Collateral Damage: The Relationship Between High-Salience Events and Variation in Racial Discrimination

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Gorbatai, Andreea; Younkin, Peter; Burtch, Gordon

Abstract: To what extent are individual or organizational biases affected by racially sali ... Expand

Abstract: To what extent are individual or organizational biases affected by racially salient events? We propose that acts of discrimination and the individual biases that undergird them are sensitive to high-salience events and will oscillate with the salience of the focal attribute. In short, that the propensity to discriminate reflects both individual and environmental differences, and therefore a given person may become more prone to discriminate in the aftermath of a high-salience event. We test our hypothesis in three online experiments that examine how varying the salience of race affects the evaluation of in-group or out-group founders. We find that respondents evaluate their in-group members more favorably, and out-group members less favorably, when exposed to a high-salience event, which translates into a significant disadvantage for the minority (African American) group. We complement these studies with an assessment of how police shootings affect fundraising outcomes on Kickstarter to confirm the external validity of our findings. Together, these studies indicate that racially salient events depress the quality evaluations and success odds of African American entrepreneurs relative to others. Hence, discrimination levels can be affected by salient yet unrelated events, and such events are consequential for the economic fortunes of individuals belonging to minority and disadvantaged groups.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1527. Collapse

Topics: crowdfunding crowdsourcing website criminality application programming interface

Methods: experiment parametric test statistical hypothesis test survey facial recognition system

Primer for Experimental Methods in Organization Theory

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Levine, Sheen S.; Schilke, Oliver; Kacperczyk, Olenka; Zucker, Lynne G.

Abstract: Experiments have long played a crucial role in various scientific disciplines an ... Expand

Abstract: Experiments have long played a crucial role in various scientific disciplines and have been gaining ground in organization theory, where they add unique value by establishing causality and uncovering theoretical mechanisms. This essay provides an overview of the merits and procedures of the experimental methodology, with an emphasis on its application to organization theory. Drawing on the historical roots of experiments and their impact across science, we argue the method holds immense potential for furthering organization theory. We highlight key advantages of experimental methods, including high internal and construct validity, vividness in communicating findings, the capacity to examine complex and understudied phenomena, and the identification of microfoundations and theoretical mechanisms. We alleviate some concerns about external validity and offer guidance for designing and conducting sound, reproducible experimental research. Ultimately, we contend that the current experimental turn holds the potential to reorient organization theory.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: This work was supported by the Otto Moensted Foundation, which granted the Otto Moensted Visiting Professorship to S. S. Levine, and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award from the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences [Grant 1943688] to O. Schilke.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.18093. Collapse

Topics: electronic mail behavioral intention innovation management anonymity social network

Methods: experiment survey statistical hypothesis test post-hoc analysis theory development

Theories: organizational theory behavioral economics

Powerlessness Also Corrupts: Lower Power Increases Self-Promotional Lying

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Li, Huisi (Jessica); Chen, Ya-Ru; Hildreth, John Angus D.

Abstract: The popular maxim holds that power corrupts, and research to date supports the v ... Expand

Abstract: The popular maxim holds that power corrupts, and research to date supports the view that power increases self-interested unethical behavior. However, we predict the opposite effect when unethical behavior, specifically lying, helps an individual self-promote: lower rather than higher power increases self-promotional lying. Drawing from compensatory consumption theory, we propose that this effect occurs because lower power people feel less esteemed in their organizations than do higher power people. To compensate for this need to view themselves as esteemed members of their organizations, lower power individuals are more likely to inflate their accomplishments. Evidence from four studies supports our predictions: compared with those with higher power, executives with lower power in their organizations were more likely to lie about their work achievements (Study 1, n = 230); graduate students with lower power in their Ph.D. studies were more likely to lie about their publication records (Study 2, n = 164); and employees with lower power were more likely to lie about having signed a business contract (Studies 3 and 4). Mediation analyses suggest that lower power increased lying because lower power individuals feel lower esteem in their organizations (Study 3, n = 562). Further supporting this mechanism, a self-affirmation intervention reduced the effect of lower power on self-promotional lying (Study 4, n = 536). These converging findings show that, when lies are self-promotional, lower power can be more corruptive than higher power. Collapse

Topics: anonymity consumer behavior missing data electronic mail website

Methods: survey mediation analysis parametric test chi squared test survey design

Theories: self construal theory

The Dual Function of Organizational Structure: Aggregating and Shaping Individuals’ Votes

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Piezunka, Henning; Schilke, Oliver

Abstract: How do organizational structures influence organizational decision making? This ... Expand

Abstract: How do organizational structures influence organizational decision making? This article reveals organizational structures’ dual function: they both (1) aggregate and (2) shape individuals’ decisions. What makes this dual function so remarkable is that the two effects are diametrically opposed to one another. Ceteris paribus, a less stringent decision-making structure reduces the amount of support required for a given project to be greenlit at the organizational level, which should result in more investments getting approved. However, we find that this ceteris paribus assumption does not hold, because a less stringent decision-making structure also reduces individuals’ tendency to provide their support for an investment. Our experimental investigation of organizational voting provides evidence for our position that organizational structure plays an important role beyond mere aggregation: voting thresholds also affect individuals’ voting behavior. The combination of both effects explains why the organizational adoption of a new voting threshold may not yield the intended outcome. Funding: This work was supported by a National Science Foundation CAREER Award from the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences [Grant 1943688] granted to O. Schilke. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1653. Collapse

Topics: organization structure decision making privacy entrepreneurship organizational context

Methods: Poisson regression experiment survey experimental task regression analysis method

Theories: organizational theory dynamic capabilities theory organizational behavior theory

A Matter of Transition: Authenticity Judgments and Attracting Employees to Hybridized Organizations

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Radoynovska, Nevena; Ruttan, Rachel

Abstract: Category-spanning organizations have been shown to face a number of penalties co ... Expand

Abstract: Category-spanning organizations have been shown to face a number of penalties compared with organizations occupying a single category. The assumption seems to be, however, that organizations spanning the same categories will be evaluated similarly. Yet, this is not always the case. We know far less about why evaluations may differ within category-spanners, largely due to existing studies’ focus on comparing single-category to category-spanning organizations in equilibrium states at a fixed point in time. Instead, this paper investigates audience judgments of organizations as they transition from single to multiple categories. We rely on the empirical setting of social-commercial hybrids—an intriguing context in which to explore category-spanning across market and nonmarket domains associated with distinct values, norms, and expectations. In a series of two experimental studies, we investigate how hybridization affects audience judgments of organizational authenticity and the ability to attract potential employees. We find that across organizational fields associated with nonprofit (communal) and for-profit (market exchange) norms, hybridization—more than hybridity itself—triggers audience cynicism and leads to decreased judgments of authenticity. However, the penalties for hybridizing are only observed when organizations also move away from field-level profit-status norms. The findings contribute to the category-spanning and authenticity literatures by integrating social psychological and organizational theory perspectives to offer a dynamic view of spanning beyond for-profit, market contexts. They also offer empirical support for the theorized multidirectionality of mission drift in hybrid organizations, while suggesting that drifting need not always be detrimental.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Supplemental Material: Supplemental online materials are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1495. Collapse

Topics: organizational change database system online labor market

Methods: parametric test experiment statistical power analysis ANOVA statistical hypothesis test

Theories: organizational behavior theory organizational theory

How Do Performance Goals Influence Exploration-Exploitation Choices?

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Raveendran, Marlo; Srikanth, Kannan; Ungureanu, Tiberiu; Zheng, George L.

Abstract: Employees in organizations are frequently subject to performance goals such as s ... Expand

Abstract: Employees in organizations are frequently subject to performance goals such as sales or publication targets. However, often employees do not know what actions will allow them to meet these goals. To perform such tasks effectively, employees need to explore to quickly learn from experience which among the available alternatives offers the higher reward potential, so that they can concentrate subsequent efforts on exploiting it. Prior work models such explore-exploit problems as an adaptive learning process, where employees sequentially sample various options and learn from feedback. However, we currently do not know how performance goals influence this adaptive learning process. We argue that performance goals influence the adaptive learning process by modifying how feedback is perceived. Individuals subject to challenging goals are more likely to interpret feedback from poor alternatives as failures. Therefore, they quickly develop high belief strength that the inferior alternative is worse than the superior alternative, enabling them to reduce “useless exploration,” but also making them slow to adapt to environmental shocks. We test our predictions in a series of laboratory experiments and find that decision makers subject to challenging goals exploit more (relative to those with moderate goals). We also show that such an exploitation focus, while beneficial in stable environments, is detrimental in unstable ones. Our finding that challenging performance goals improve performance in learning tasks stands in contrast to prior findings that such goals inhibit performance in search tasks, an insight that warrants further study to improve our understanding of goal setting in the knowledge economy.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Funding: K. Srikanth was supported by SMU Seed Funding Grant for the initial version of this paper.Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2019.13311. Collapse

Topics: pandemic anonymity business process management

Methods: laboratory experiment robustness check experiment theory development statistical power analysis

Theories: behavioral theory of the firm

Prejudiced against the Machine? Implicit Associations and the Transience of Algorithm Aversion

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Turel, Ofir; Kalhan, Shivam

Abstract: Algorithm aversion is an important and persistent issue that prevents harvestin ... Expand

Abstract: Algorithm aversion is an important and persistent issue that prevents harvesting the benefits of advancements in artificial intelligence. The literature thus far has provided explanations that primarily focus on conscious reflective processes. Here, we supplement this view by taking an unconscious perspective that can be highly informative. Building on theories of implicit prejudice, in a preregistered study, we suggest that people develop an implicit bias (i.e., prejudice) against artificial intelligence (AI) systems, as a different and threatening "species," the behavior of which is unknown. Like in other contexts of prejudice, we expected people to be guided by this implicit bias but try to override it. This leads to some willingness to rely on algorithmic advice (appreciation), which is reduced as a function of people's implicit prejudice against the machine. Next, building on the somatic marker hypothesis and the accessibility-diagnosticity perspective, we provide an explanation as to why aversion is ephemeral. As people learn about the performance of an algorithm, they depend less on primal implicit biases when deciding whether to rely on the AI's advice. Two studies (n1 = 675, n2 = 317) that use the implicit association test consistently support this view. Two additional studies (n3 = 255, n4 = 332) rule out alternative explanations and provide stronger support for our assertions. The findings ultimately suggest that moving the needle between aversion and appreciation depends initially on one's general unconscious bias against AI because there is insufficient information to override it. They further suggest that in later use stages, this shift depends on accessibility to diagnostic information about the AI's performance, which reduces the weight given to unconscious prejudice. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence decision making accounting intrinsic motivation explainable artificial intelligence

Methods: computational algorithm parametric test longitudinal research statistical hypothesis test analysis of covariance

Authenticity-Based Connections as Organizational Constraints and the Paradox of Authenticity in the Market for Cuban Cigars

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Verhaal, J. Cameron; Hahl, Oliver; Fandl, Kevin J.

Abstract: We explore the organizational consequences that different authenticity claims ca ... Expand

Abstract: We explore the organizational consequences that different authenticity claims carry for products and the firms that produce them. To do so, we build on the notion of an authenticity paradox—the idea that seeking to capture demand that is created by perceived authenticity can undermine the very authenticity that generated the demand in the first place. Using an experimental approach, we argue and show that provenance-based claims of authenticity (e.g., location of origin) constrain a firm spaciotemporally, limiting their ability to expand production in ways that might be economically rational but would undermine this authenticity claim. We further show there is no penalty (or there is a reduced penalty) when the claim is not explicitly spaciotemporal, and is instead based on an association to an iconic individual broadly connected to that place. We show how these types of connections help firms respond to the authenticity paradox by allowing them more freedom to expand production to meet the increased demand without undermining the original claims to authenticity. As a result, this paper’s key contribution is in moving beyond explaining how perceived authenticity benefits organizations and instead, explores how different claims to authenticity can constrain a firm’s ability to capture the value that it has created from authenticity.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1574. Collapse

Topics: cloud computing

Methods: experiment statistical power analysis theory development parametric test statistical hypothesis test

Theories: organizational theory

Social Movements, Collective Identity, and Workplace Allies: The Labeling of Gender Equity Policy Changes

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Wang, Cynthia S.; Whitson, Jennifer A.; King, Brayden G; Ramirez, Rachel L.

Abstract: Social movements seek allies as they campaign for social, political, and organiz ... Expand

Abstract: Social movements seek allies as they campaign for social, political, and organizational changes. How do activists gain allies in the targeted institutions they hope to change? Despite recognition of the importance of ally support in theories about institutional change and social movements, these theories are largely silent on the microdynamics of ally mobilization. We examine how the labeling of organizational policies that benefit women influences potential workplace allies’ support for these policies. We theorize that one barrier to mobilizing workplace allies is a misalignment of the labels that activists use to promote new policies and employees’ affiliation with collective identities. We conducted five experiments to test our hypotheses and 26 qualitative interviews to provide illustration of our core concepts. We demonstrate that employees high in feminist identification are more likely to support feminist-labeled (feminist and #MeToo) than unlabeled policies, whereas those low in feminist identification are less likely to support feminist-labeled than unlabeled policies (Studies 1–3). However, we find that participants for whom organizational identification was high (whether measured or manipulated) and feminist identification was low supported organizationally labeled policies more than feminist-labeled polices (Studies 4 and 5). This illustrates that policies whose aims may not align with one collective identity can still garner support by activating another relevant collective identity. Within our studies, we provide evidence that these effects are mediated via feelings of pride in the organization (and not fear or anger), suggesting that positive emotions are a central mechanism in mobilizing workplace allies.History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1492. Collapse

Topics: marketing management research and development organizational context accounting legal context

Methods: qualitative interview theory development experiment linear regression analysis survey

Theories: organizational theory reinforcement sensitivity theory social identity theory