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• Working Paper | HBS Working Paper Series | 2013

  Social Norms Versus Social Responsibility: Punishing Transgressions under Conflicting Obligations

  Francesca Gino, Celia Moore and Lamar Pierce

  This paper combines experimental and field data to examine how those with discretion over punishment respond when confronted with social norms of leniency. Specifically, we test how individuals who have a responsibility to punish transgressions behave when confronted with the social norm of preferential treatment on people's birthdays. We first establish the existence of this social norm using a scenario study. We then show that individuals behave in the opposite way than that suggested by the social norm: they punish transgressors more severely on their birthdays, both in the realm of actual drunk driving enforcement and in an experimental lab setting where participants were given the responsibility to punish. An additional experiment provides evidence that this effect is driven by psychological reactance rather than by overcompensation for potential bias. We discuss both the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

  Keywords: bias; discrimination; ethics; leniency; transgressions; punishment;

  Citation:

  Gino, Francesca, Celia Moore, and Lamar Pierce. "Social Norms Versus Social Responsibility: Punishing Transgressions under Conflicting Obligations." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 13–101, June 2013.

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• Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2006 version)

  Ducati Corse: The Making of a Grand Prix Motorcycle (TN)

  Francesca Gino and Gary P. Pisano

  Keywords: Production; Auto Industry;

  Citation:

  Gino, Francesca, and Gary P. Pisano. "Ducati Corse: The Making of a Grand Prix Motorcycle (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 607-044, March 2013. (Revised from original November 2006 version.)

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• Dictionary Entry | Encyclopedia of Management Theory | 2013

  Managerial Decision Biases

  Ting Zhang and Max Bazerman

  Citation:

  Zhang, Ting, and Max Bazerman. "Managerial Decision Biases." In Encyclopedia of Management Theory. Volume 1 edited by Eric H. Kessler, 470–474. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2013.

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