Publication database

A well-stablished tenet among organizational network scholars is that it is harder for women to broker structural holes because the brokerage process requires stereotypically masculine behaviors such as self-promotion, instrumental exchanges, and strategic networking. Yet, this perspective overlooks the possibility that women may become successful brokers by leveraging stereotypically female relational strategies based on interpersonal caring and warmth. Rather than defining brokerage as an inherently masculine strategy, we conducted a field experiment in which the “treatment” (a quasi-random assignment of managers to office desks) generated exogenous brokerage opportunities that are more congruent with feminine than masculine role stereotypes. The field experiment yielded three key insights. First, female managers were more effective than their male peers at forming new bridging relations. Second, these bridging relationships were based on friendship; hence, they were defined by interpersonal caring and warmth rather than by instrumental motives as is typical of masculine brokerage strategies. Third, though based on friendship, these bridging relationships yielded sizeable instrumental returns as measured by salary increases x number of months after the treatment. By highlighting the understudied role of feminine brokerage strategies, these results caution against the widespread tendency to define brokerage as inherently masculine, they advance our theoretical understanding of the relation between gender and brokerage effectiveness, and they offer practical insights on how to improve gender equality within organizations.

With permission of the Academy of Management

In Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs), patients with similar conditions meet the physician together and each receives one-on-one attention. SMAs can improve outcomes and physician productivity. Yet privacy concerns have stymied adoption. In physician-deprived nations, patients’ utility from improved access may outweigh their disutility from loss of privacy. Ours is to our knowledge the first SMA trial for any disease, in India, where doctors are scarce. In a 1,000-patient, single-site, randomized controlled trial at Aravind Eye Hospital, Pondicherry, we compared SMAs and one-on-one appointments, over four successive visits, for patients with glaucoma. We examined patients’ satisfaction, knowledge, intention-to-follow-up, follow-up rates, and medication compliance rates (primary outcomes) using intention-to-treat analysis. Of 1,034 patients invited between July 12, 2016 – July 19, 2018, 1,000 (96.7%) consented to participate, and were randomly assigned to either SMAs (N_SMA=500) or one-on-one appointments (N_1-1=500). Patients who received SMAs showed higher satisfaction (Mean_SMA=4.955 (SD 0.241), Mean_1-1=4.920 (SD 0.326); difference in means 0.035; 95% CI, 0.017-0.054, p=0.0002) and knowledge (Mean_SMA=3.416 (SD 1.340), Mean_1-1=3.267 (SD 1.492); difference in means 0.149; 95% CI, 0.057–0.241, p=0.002) than patients who received one-on-one appointments. Across conditions, there was no difference in patients’ intention-to-follow-up (Mean_SMA=4.989 (SD 0.118), Mean_1-1=4.986 (SD 0.149); difference in means 0.003; 95% CI, -0.006–0.012, p=0.481) and actual follow-up rates (Mean_SMA=87.5% (SD 0.372), Mean_1-1=88.7% (SD 0.338); difference in means -0.012; 95% CI, -0.039–0.015, p=0.377). Patients who received SMAs exhibited higher medication compliance rates (Mean_SMA=97.0% (SD 0.180), Mean_1-1=94.9% (SD 0.238); difference in means 0.020; 95% CI, 0.004–0.036, p=0.013). SMAs improved satisfaction, learning, and medication compliance, without compromising follow-up rates or measured clinical outcomes. Peer interruptions were negatively correlated with patient satisfaction in early-trial SMAs and positively correlated with patient satisfaction in later-trial SMAs. The trial was registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India with reference no. REF/2016/11/012659 and registration no. CTRI/2018/02/011998.

©2023 Sönmez et al.

Extant literature has studied how customer–salesperson price negotiations evolve in “normal” circumstances. However, recent economic recessions illustrate the need to advance theory on the question of how price negotiations evolve in “abnormal” times when customer demand significantly contracts beyond expected variation. In response to this gap in the literature, this study uses a multi-method design to investigate price negotiations during exceptional demand contractions. Our results from a theories-in-use study reveal that during such circumstances, salespeople’s perceived dependency on customers increases while customers’ perceived dependency on salespeople decreases. The inherent “power shift” should benefit customers in subsequent price negotiations. However, customers are less likely to capitalize on their power if they have a close relationship with a salesperson, implying that salespeople do not have to concede on price negotiations. This effect is likely due to increased sympathy during periods of exceptional demand contractions. The authors further validate key propositions from this qualitative study in a field study and a scenario-based experiment. Altogether, this study suggests that managers should not be too hasty in approving and encouraging salespeople to offer unnecessary price discounts during exceptional demand contractions as buyers may become more sympathetic and lenient during price negotiations.

With permission of SAGE Publishing

This case is a set of five vignettes describing career shocks experienced by managers. The stories behind the vignettes were presented by respective protagonists to an executive coach immediately after experiencing a career shock. They can be used for discussion of the topic of career shocks or as exercises in executive coaching or career counseling.

To study the effect of congestion on the fundamental trade-off between diagnostic accuracy and speed, we empirically test the predictions of a formal sequential testing model in a setting where the gathering of additional information can improve diagnostic accuracy, but may also take time and increase congestion as a result. The efficient management of such systems requires a careful balance of congestion-sensitive stopping rules. These include diagnoses made based on very little or no diagnostic information, and the stopping of diagnostic processes while waiting for information. We test these rules under controlled laboratory conditions, and link the observed biases to system dynamics and performance. Our data shows that decision makers (DMs) stop diagnostic processes too quickly at low congestion levels where information acquisition is relatively cheap. But they fail to stop quickly enough when increasing congestion requires the DM to diagnose without testing, or diagnose while waiting for test results. Essentially, DMs are insufficiently sensitive to congestion. As a result of these behavioral patterns, DMs manage the system with both lower-than-optimal diagnostic accuracy and higher-than-optimal congestion cost, underperforming on both sides of the accuracy/speed trade-off.

© 2023, INFORMS

We introduce a model of a rational credit card user's rather complex usage choices and develop an empirical framework to test its predictions. Employing a large national database of U.S. card accounts, we estimate how prices impact card usage and find that price effects are mostly well explained within our model. An exception is less borrowing in response to declining late-fees among low credit-score (subprime) users. Extension of our model based on "focusing theory" predicts this behavior. It also implies substantial indirect benefits of the CARD Act's late-fee cap due to subprime users re-focusing toward reducing their debt.

What defines success in executive education? Satisfied participants? Great scores on a post-training quiz? Participants using what they learned back on the job to influence important organizational metrics and KPIs? The article examines the case for taking a more results orientated approach to training design and evaluation for executive level education. Using the example of a TRATON executive education program, it sheds light on how to define a successful return via an impact map and how to shift from an event to a journey paradigm by combining a learning, a behavioral change, and a support layer.

View the book “Grasselli, N. (Ed.) (2023). The future of executive education. Learning leadership in a digital age” here.

An increased focus on co-creation in program design seeks to better meet the needs of the modern knowledge worker—setting a new standard for leadership development

View the book “Grasselli, N. (Ed.) (2023). The future of executive education. Learning leadership in a digital age” here.