Steffen Keck

Group Decisions Under Ambiguity: Convergence to Neutrality

This paper focuses on decisions under ambiguity. Participants in a laboratory experiment made decisions in three different settings: (a) individually, (b) individually after discussing the decisions with two others, and (c) in groups of three. We show that groups are more likely to make ambiguity-neutral decisions than individuals, and that individuals make more ambiguity-neutral decisions after discussing the decisions with others. This shift toward higher ambiguity neutrality in groups and after a group discussion is associated with a reduction in the rates of both ambiguity aversion and ambiguity seeking. We suggest that the results might be driven by effective and persuasive communication that takes place in groups.

When Deviant Leaders are Punished more than Non-leaders: The Role of Deviance Severity

Evaluations of workplace deviant behavior are often biased by the personal characteristics of both deviants and sanctioners. In this paper, we focus on the characteristics of deviants and investigate the conditions under which sanctioners are more lenient towards deviants of high social status than lowstatus wrongdoers. We experimentally test the hypothesis that the severity of misbehavior determines the strength of punishment recommended for highas compared to low-status wrongdoers (Studies 1 and 2). Results supported the hypothesized interactive effect of severity and deviant status on recommended punishments. For work-related transgressions of low severity, high status “shields” the deviant from harsh evaluations and sanctions. However, for transgressions of high severity, this effect reverses and social status becomes a liability. Sanctions are in fact the strongest for high-status perpetrators committing serious work-related transgressions. The liability effect of status in such cases is mediated by the perceived betrayal of the implicit social exchange between the organization and the status-holder (Study 3). The perceived betrayal reaches its highest level for highstatus actors engaged in serious workplace misbehaviors, thereby increasing the sanctioner’s disapproval and recommended punishment. 181 words.

Gender composition and group confidence judgment: The perils of all-male groups

We explore the joint effects of group decision making and a group’s gender composition on the calibration of confidence judgments. Participants in a laboratory experiment, individually and in group...