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When Should Leaders Share Information with Their Subordinates?

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  • Jordi Blanes I Vidal
  • Marc Möller

Abstract

We show that when leaders share some of their information with subordinates, decision making is subject to a motivational bias; leaders make the decisions their subordinates want to see. As this bias increases with the quality of the shared information, an improvement of an organization's information might even decrease its efficiency. As a consequence, information sharing is not always optimal. We show however that self‐confidence can help the leader to overcome his motivational bias, thus making information sharing more attractive. Conversely, we find that information sharing can help to curb the autocratic tendencies of a self‐confident leadership. We conclude that a policy of information sharing and the appointment of a self‐confident leadership are most effective when they go hand in hand.

Suggested Citation

  • Jordi Blanes I Vidal & Marc Möller, 2007. "When Should Leaders Share Information with Their Subordinates?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 251-283, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jemstr:v:16:y:2007:i:2:p:251-283
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9134.2007.00139.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aditya Kuvalekar & Jo~ao Ramos & Johannes Schneider, 2021. "The Wrong Kind of Information," Papers 2111.04172, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2022.
    2. Yeon-Koo Che & Wouter Dessein & Navin Kartik, 2013. "Pandering to Persuade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(1), pages 47-79, February.
    3. Patrick Bolton & Markus K. Brunnermeier & Laura Veldkamp, 2008. "Leadership, Coordination and Mission-Driven Management," NBER Working Papers 14339, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Eric Van den Steen, 2018. "Strategy and the Strategist: How It Matters Who Develops the Strategy," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(10), pages 4533-4551, October.
    5. Nana Adrian & Marc Möller, 2020. "Self‐managed work teams: An efficiency‐rationale for pay compression," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 315-334, April.
    6. Andres Espitia, 2024. "Confidence and Organizations," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_521, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    7. Aditya Kuvalekar & João Ramos & Johannes Schneider, 2023. "The wrong kind of information," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 54(2), pages 360-384, June.
    8. Jordi Blanes i Vidal & Marc Möller, 2013. "Decision–Making and Implementation in Teams," CEP Discussion Papers dp1208, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Sergei Guriev & Anton Suvorov, 2010. "Why Less Informed Managers May Be Better Leaders," Working Papers w0142, New Economic School (NES).
    10. Hermalin, Benjamin E. & Weisbach, Michael S., 2014. "Understanding Corporate Governance through Learning Models of Managerial Competence," Working Paper Series 2014-04, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    11. Qiang Fu & Ming Li & Xue Qiao, 2022. "On the paradox of mediocracy," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 492-521, April.
    12. Hideshi Itoh & Kimiyuki Morita, 2023. "Information Acquisition, Decision Making, and Implementation in Organizations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 446-463, January.
    13. Alp Atakan & Levent Kockesen & Elif Kubilay, 2017. "Optimal Delegation of Sequential Decisions: The Role of Communication and Reputation," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 1701, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    14. Atakan, Alp & Koçkesen, Levent & Kubilay, Elif, 2020. "Starting small to communicate," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 265-296.
    15. Gürerk, Özgür & Irlenbusch, Bernd & Rockenbach, Bettina, 2009. "Motivating teammates: The leader's choice between positive and negative incentives," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 591-607, August.

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