Kimberly M. Sawers
University of California, Riverside
Abstract: Managers often delay making decisions when decision tools indicate a preferred alternative. This avoidance behavior is costly. I posit this tendency to delay arises from the conflict inherent in choice and the managers resulting negative affect. In this study I examine two dimensions of choice difficulty which cause conflict and are posited to increase negative affect and, as a result, increase the tendency of individuals to avoid action. Specifically, I investigate the influence of (1) difficult-to-compare features and (2) tradeoffs of highly valued goals on an individuals tendency to avoid choice when analysis indicates action would be appropriate. In an experiment with one hundred twenty executives, participants with either difficult-to-compare features or difficult tradeoffs report higher levels of decision difficulty, negative affect and desire to postpone making the decision than participants in a control group. In addition, I investigate the efficacy of a potential remedy.
Back to Program
