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The Liability of Leading: Battling Aspiration and Survival Goals in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions

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  • Elizabeth Boyle

    (Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, New York 10011)

  • Zur Shapira

    (Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, New York 10011)

Abstract

We extend the variable risk preferences model of decision making to a competitive context in order to develop theory about how competition affects both focus of attention and risk taking. We hypothesize and find support for leader–follower differences in the channeling of attention to an aspiration or survival point. Our results indicate that leaders focus on their aspiration point, whereas followers' focus of attention shifts between their aspiration and survival points. By identifying and elaborating on the different cognitive loads and social expectations related to the positions of leader and follower, we show that leaders are prone to take excessive risks to maintain their leadership position. We refer to this phenomenon as the liability of leading. Our study context is a naturally occurring experiment in strategic decision making, the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Boyle & Zur Shapira, 2012. "The Liability of Leading: Battling Aspiration and Survival Goals in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(4), pages 1100-1113, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:23:y:2012:i:4:p:1100-1113
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1110.0690
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    2. Cédric Gutierrez & Tomasz Obloj & Douglas H. Frank, 2021. "Better to have led and lost than never to have led at all? Lost leadership and effort provision in dynamic tournaments," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 774-801, April.
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    7. Christian Schumacher & Steffen Keck & Wenjie Tang, 2020. "Biased interpretation of performance feedback: The role of CEO overconfidence," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(6), pages 1139-1165, June.
    8. Anthony Vashevko, 2019. "Does the Middle Conform or Compete? Quality Thresholds Predict the Locus of Innovation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(1), pages 88-108, February.
    9. Daniel A. Levinthal & Claus Rerup, 2021. "The Plural of Goal: Learning in a World of Ambiguity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 527-543, May.
    10. Michael Lounsbury & Christine M. Beckman, 2015. "Celebrating Organization Theory," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 288-308, March.
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    14. Thomas P. Moliterno & Nikolaus Beck & Christine M. Beckman & Mark Meyer, 2014. "Knowing Your Place: Social Performance Feedback in Good Times and Bad Times," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(6), pages 1684-1702, December.
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    18. Su, Taoyong & Yu, Yuzhu & Chen, Yongheng & Hou, Wanrong, 2023. "On or off: The triggering effect of underperformance duration on cooperative innovation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
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    20. John Joseph & Ronald Klingebiel & Alex James Wilson, 2016. "Organizational Structure and Performance Feedback: Centralization, Aspirations, and Termination Decisions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(5), pages 1065-1083, October.

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