Eugene J. Kutcher

When Success Breeds Failure: History, Hysteresis, and Delayed Exit Decisions

The effects of feedback equivocality, information availability, and prior decision-making history on escalation and persistence were investigated. Replicating the findings of J.L. Bragger, D.H. Bragger, D.A. Hantula, and J.P. Kirnan (1998), this study found that participants receiving equivocal feedback on their decisions invested more money and invested across more opportunities; those who could purchase information invested fewer resources than did participants who did not have the opportunity to purchase information. There was an inverse linear relationship between the percentage of opportunities in which participants purchased information and the delay to exit decisions and total resources invested. Six weeks earlier, some participants took part in a more profitable investment scenario, and prior experience led to later increased investing when participants were faced with failure, even above that invested in a preceding, succeeding scenario. These results are consistent with an equivocality theory account of escalation.

The Effects of the Structured Interview on Reducing Biases Against Pregnant Job Applicants

Some research has been conducted on the discrimination faced by pregnant women in the workplace. Few studies, however, have specifically investigated how this bias is manifested in employment or hiring decisions. The current study was designed to examine possible bias during structured interviews. Participants watched a videotaped scenario in which candidates were interviewed for a job. The 2 × 2 × 2 experimental conditions were varied to represent a structured or an unstructured interview, a pregnant or nonpregnant interviewee, and the open position of either a high school teacher or sales representative. Results indicate an overall bias against pregnant women and suggested that the structured interview reduces this bias.

Giving Nonselective Downsizing a Performance Review

The failures of performance management (PM) systems are well known, as is the popularity of downsizing as a corporate strategy. We suggest that the factors integral to the success of PM, such as employee–organization trust, manager–employee communication, goal setting, and reinforcement contingencies, are undermined by organizational downsizing. Broken PM systems increase the likelihood of future downsizing, yet make it difficult to conduct performance-based downsizing. With proper encouragement by HRD professionals and the correct use of employee-centered PM, which may include performance-based downsizing, organizations may break this cycle. Suggested practical implementations include the use of Daniels’s (1985) concept of Performance Management and of Pfeffer and Sutton’s (2006) concept of evidence-based management to (a) implement alternative cost reduction techniques (b) implement contingent PM, that may integrate performance-based downsizing (c) develop HRD specialists and managers to develop and evaluate these integrated systems and (d) reevaluate PM competencies and processes after downsizing has occurred.

360‐Degree Feedback

360 Degree Feedback is a system or process in which employees receive confidential, anonymous feedback from the people who work around them. This typically includes the employees manager, peers, and direct reports. A mixture of about eight to Twenty four people fill out an anonymous online feedback form that asks questions covering a broad range of workplace competencies. The feedback forms include questions that are measured on a rating scale and also ask raters to provide written comments. The person receiving feedback also fills out a self-rating survey that includes the same survey questions that others receive in their forms.