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Desire for a positive moral self-regard exacerbates escalation of commitment to initiatives with prosocial aims

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  • Schaumberg, Rebecca L.
  • Wiltermuth, Scott S.

Abstract

Across three experiments, people escalated commitment more frequently to a failing prosocial initiative (i.e., an initiative that had the primary aim of improving the outcomes of others in need) than they did to a failing egoistic initiative (i.e., an initiative that had the primary aim of improving the outcomes of the decision-maker). A test of mediation (Study 1b) and a test of moderation (Study 2) each provided evidence that a desire for a positive moral self-regard underlies people’s tendency to escalate commitment more frequently to failing prosocial initiatives than to failing egoistic initiatives. We discuss the implications of these findings for the resource-allocation decisions that people and organizations face when undertaking initiatives with prosocial aims.

Suggested Citation

  • Schaumberg, Rebecca L. & Wiltermuth, Scott S., 2014. "Desire for a positive moral self-regard exacerbates escalation of commitment to initiatives with prosocial aims," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 110-123.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:123:y:2014:i:2:p:110-123
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2013.10.012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Alejandro Montecinos‐Pearce & Pablo Rodrigo & Ignacio J. Duran, 2020. "When is escalation of commitment unstoppable in group settings? An iterative economic modeling approach to unveil the dark side of group decision‐making," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(8), pages 1387-1402, December.
    3. Bitterly, T. Bradford & Schweitzer, Maurice E., 2019. "The impression management benefits of humorous self-disclosures: How humor influences perceptions of veracity," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 73-89.
    4. Nite, Calvin & Hutchinson, Michael & Bouchet, Adrien, 2019. "Toward an institutional theory of escalation of commitment within sport management: A review and future directions," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 571-583.
    5. Xu, Alison Jing & Rodas, Maria A. & Torelli, Carlos J., 2020. "Generosity without borders: The interactive effect of spatial distance and donation goals on charitable giving," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 65-78.
    6. Julien Cusin & Juliette Ducros-Passebois, 2015. "Appropriate persistence in a project: The case of the Wine Culture and Tourism Centre in Bordeaux," Post-Print hal-03240447, HAL.
    7. Cusin, Julien & Passebois-Ducros, Juliette, 2015. "Appropriate persistence in a project: The case of the Wine Culture and Tourism Centre in Bordeaux," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 341-353.

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