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Only When Others Are Watching: The Contingent Efforts of High Status Group Members

Author

Listed:
  • Robert B. Lount, Jr.

    (Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210)

  • Sarah P. Doyle

    (Eller College of Management, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721)

  • Sebastien Brion

    (IESE Business School, University of Navarra, 08034 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Nathan C. Pettit

    (Stern School of Business, New York University, New York 10012)

Abstract

This research examines how an individual’s place in the status hierarchy affects their willingness to expend effort on group tasks, why this occurs, and a contingency governing this relationship. Among firefighter teams (Study 1), MBA student workgroups (Study 2), and undergraduates in the laboratory (Study 3), we find that the relationship between status and effort, through performance expectations, is contingent on the perceived visibility of one’s efforts (i.e., task visibility). When task visibility is high, greater status leads to higher performance expectations. When task visibility is low or absent, this relationship was not present. Overall, our findings help paint a more complete picture of the relationship between status, performance expectations, and effort in workgroups while also furthering our understanding of the psychological experience of status.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert B. Lount, Jr. & Sarah P. Doyle & Sebastien Brion & Nathan C. Pettit, 2019. "Only When Others Are Watching: The Contingent Efforts of High Status Group Members," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(7), pages 3382-3397, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:65:y:2019:i:7:p:3382-3397
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2018.3103
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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