Research Roundup: November 2024

Dive into our monthly Research Roundup, showcasing the latest insights from the business education community to keep you informed of new and noteworthy industry trends. Here are this month’s selections:

When Deadlines Define Perception

• Researchers: David Fang, Stanford University; Sam J. Maglio, University of Toronto

• Output: “On Time or On Thin Ice: How Deadline Violations Negatively Affect Perceived Work Quality and Worker Evaluations,” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2024

• Overview: Meeting deadlines carries importance beyond delivering work on time; it shapes how others perceive quality and competence. Researchers at the University of Toronto investigated how missing deadlines affects the way work is judged, regardless of its actual content.

Across 18 experiments, including participants with U.S. and U.K. backgrounds, evaluators were shown identical work samples, ranging from business proposals to art entries. They were informed whether each sample was submitted early, on time, or late. The researchers sought to determine how timing influenced evaluators’ perceptions of the work and the employees and whether deadline adherence impacted workplace evaluations and opportunities more broadly.

• Findings: The study reveals that consistently missing deadlines significantly impacts perceived work quality and employee competence. When work was submitted late, evaluators rated it as lower quality—even when the content was identical to on-time or early submissions. Notably, early submissions were rated no higher than on-time work, indicating that only missing a deadline had a perceptible effect. Furthermore, the degree of delay didn’t matter; work that was one day late was judged as negatively as work delayed by a week.

Evaluators also expressed reluctance to assign future tasks to employees who missed deadlines, potentially limiting their advancement opportunities. However, if the delay was due to factors beyond an employee’s control (e.g., jury duty), perceptions were somewhat less negative, though still impacted. Managers should clearly communicate the flexibility of deadlines and encourage early, transparent explanations for delays to minimize negative perceptions and preserve trust.

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How Range Goals Outperform Specific Targets

• Researchers: Scott Wallace, University of Washington; Jordan Etkin, Duke University

• Output: “Range Goals as Dual Reference Points,” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2024

• Overview: Can flexible targets be the key to better performance? In a recent study, researchers from Duke University examined the effects of setting “range goals”—targets that span a spectrum rather than a single, fixed outcome. Traditionally, specific goals are seen as highly motivating but can also lead to frustration if unmet. Range goals, like aiming to achieve 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily, provide reference points that may enhance motivation and satisfaction.

This study aimed to understand whether range goals could boost performance by creating both a sense of achievement at the lower end and an aspirational push toward the upper end, balancing challenge with attainability.

• Findings: The findings show that range goals, compared to specific goals, improve performance. Through experiments with more than 2,500 participants, the study shows that people working with range goals consistently exceed the lower limit and often reach the higher target.

For example, when participants work with range goals, such as finding 8 to 12 errors in a document, they consistently achieve outcomes closer to the upper end of the range. This effect strengthens when positive feedback is provided near the lower threshold, which reinforces motivation to reach the upper limit.

These insights suggest that adopting range goals allows leaders to foster higher performance without imposing rigid expectations, encouraging persistence and goal satisfaction in employees.

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When High Achievers Become Innovation Blockers

• Researchers: Matej Cerne, Sabina Bogilovic, Erik Strumbelj, University of Ljublijana; Giles Hirst, Australian National University; Pengcheng Zhang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

• Output: “Team of Champions or Champion Team? The Roles of Knowledge Hiding and Psychological Entitlement,” Journal of Business Research, 2024

• Overview: In high-performing teams, individual creativity can be both an advantage and an unexpected barrier to group innovation. This study addresses an organizational challenge—how individual creativity affects team innovation, especially in competitive environments. Using social comparison theory, the research shows how highly creative individuals can unintentionally disrupt team innovation due to feelings of entitlement. This entitlement often leads to knowledge-hiding, where individuals withhold valuable information from their teammates.

The research included a field investigation with Chinese high-tech employees and an experimental analysis involving university students. Both groups revealed how competition amplifies these behaviors, ultimately reducing team innovation. The findings offer insights for leaders to promote teamwork in environments with strong individual contributors.

• Findings: Results from the two studies show similar patterns, with some differences. Both studies confirm a strong link between individual creativity and entitlement, which leads to knowledge-hiding. Highly creative participants feel more entitled and withhold knowledge, especially in competitive settings.

However, while the field study with employees shows a clear negative impact on team innovation, this effect is less pronounced in the experimental study with students. This suggests that the real-world dynamics of the work environment intensify feelings of entitlement. The research suggests that business leaders reduce internal competition and foster environments that support knowledge-sharing to improve team performance and drive innovation across the organization.

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The Hidden Cost of Digital Tipping Visibility

• Researchers: Nathan B. Warren, BI Norwegian Business School; Sara Hanson, University of Richmond

• Output: “Tipping Privacy: The Detrimental Impact of Observation on Non-Tip Responses,” Journal of Business Research, 2024

• Overview: As digital tipping grows, it often comes with less privacy, making tipping choices visible to employees. A new study explores how this shift affects customer behavior beyond the amount tipped. Researchers introduced the concept of “tipping privacy,” which describes how customers feel when with or without the observation of staff.

They conducted five studies: a field study at a U.S. brewpub and four controlled experiments, to examine how tipping privacy impacts whether customers return to the business and share positive feedback with others. The research aimed to determine whether giving customers more privacy in their tipping choices could encourage stronger long-term loyalty rather than focusing solely on immediate tip amounts.

• Findings: The results show a trade-off between short-term tip increases and longer-term customer loyalty. When tipping is less private—like using handheld devices where employees can see the tip choice—customers tip more, likely due to social pressure. However, this lack of privacy leads to fewer positive behaviors after tipping.

For example, customers in low-privacy conditions return to the business less often, averaging 1.10 return visits compared to 1.46 visits among customers with more privacy-preserving setups. Additionally, allowing customers to change their tips afterward helps them feel more in control and increases their likelihood of returning. The study suggests that while less tipping privacy increases tips in the moment, offering more privacy builds stronger customer loyalty over time.

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Pricing the Planet to Encourage Low-Carbon Dining

• Researchers: Yurii Handziuk and Stefano Lovo, HEC Paris

• Output: “Carbon Information, Pricing, and Bans. Evidence From a Field Experiment,” SSRN, 2024

• Overview: Reducing the environmental impact of everyday choices is a growing priority for businesses and individuals alike, particularly in areas like food consumption, which contributes an estimated 25 to 30 percent of global carbon emissions. To understand how people might be encouraged toward more sustainable food selections, researchers conducted a large-scale field experiment at the HEC Paris canteen, where nearly 4,000 students, staff, and faculty regularly dine.

Over several months, three approaches were tested: adjusting dish prices based on carbon footprint (CF), displaying CF information on dishes, and introducing a weekly restriction on red meat. Researchers aimed to identify which method had the most impact in guiding choices toward lower-CF meals, and to measure each approach’s social acceptability among canteen users.

• Findings: The findings show that pricing adjustments—linking dish prices to their carbon footprints—have the strongest impact. This approach achieves a 26.8 percent reduction in the average CF of meals purchased. By comparison, the weekly red meat restriction leads to a 10 percent reduction, while simply displaying CF information alone does not lead to a meaningful change in choices.

A follow-up survey confirms that the pricing model is also the most widely supported, with 60 percent of participants favoring it over other options. These results suggest that financial incentives are particularly effective in shifting consumer behavior in real-world settings, providing a promising approach for organizations promoting carbon-conscious choices. This model adapts well to other areas, offering actionable strategies for leaders to encourage environmentally sustainable behaviors across various contexts.

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If you have new research from your school share with the business education community, please submit a summary and relevant links to AACSB Insights via our online submission form at aacsb.edu/insights/articles/submissions.