More from these Authors

• 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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• Article | Grist | June 2, 2013

  Corporate Sustainability Is Not Sustainable

  Auden Schendler and Michael W. Toffel

  Despite perceptions that sustainable business efforts are progressing, the environment reminds us we're failing to deal with the problem sufficiently. Here's what business leaders must do next.

  Citation:

  Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "Corporate Sustainability Is Not Sustainable." Grist (June 2, 2013). (Republished by Climate Progress and as "Corporate Leaders Need to Step Up on Climate Change" in HBS Working Knowledge.)

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• Article | Boston Review | May–June 2013

  Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains? Promoting Political Mobilization

  Jodi L. Short and Michael W. Toffel

  Codes of conduct indicate that working conditions are improving overall at the factories being monitored by multinational corporations, and that these the codes of conduct also create possibilities for political mobilization that can improve labor conditions more broadly.

  Keywords: regulation; auditing; Labor relations; occupational safety; Environmental Operations; environmental regulation; Employees; Labor; Labor and Management Relations; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Manufacturing Industry; China; Bangladesh; India; Honduras; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Guatemala; Malaysia; Viet Nam;

  Citation:

  Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains? Promoting Political Mobilization." Boston Review (May–June 2013).

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