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• Article | Management Science | November 2019

  Procedural Justice and the Risks of Consumer Voting

  Tami Kim, Leslie John, Todd Rogers and Michael I. Norton

  Firms are increasingly giving consumers the vote. Eight studies demonstrate that when firms empower consumers to vote, consumers infer a series of implicit promises—even in the absence of explicit promises. We identify three implicit promises to which consumers react negatively when violated: representation (Experiments 1A–1C); consistency (Experiment 2), and non-suppression (Experiment 3). However, when firms honor these implicit promises, voting can mitigate the disappointment that arises from receiving an undesired outcome (Experiment 4). Finally, Experiment 5 identifies one instance when suppressing the vote outcome is condoned: when voters believe that the process of voting has resulted in an unacceptable outcome. More generally, we show that procedural justice plays a key mediating role in determining the relative success or failure of various empowerment initiatives—from soliciting feedback to voting. Taken together, we offer insight into how firms can realize the benefits of empowerment strategies while mitigating their risks.

  Keywords: consumer empowerment; voting; procedural justice; promises; Customer Relationship Management; Voting; Perception; Fairness; Risk Management;

  Citation:

  Kim, Tami, Leslie John, Todd Rogers, and Michael I. Norton. "Procedural Justice and the Risks of Consumer Voting." Management Science 65, no. 11 (November 2019): 5234–5251.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2018 (Revised October 2019)

  Back to the Roots

  Elizabeth A. Keenan and Leslie K. John

  Email mking@hbs.edu for a courtesy copy.
  
  Back to the Roots is a startup with a social mission to “undo food”—to reconnect people to where their food comes from. In late 2017, they are contemplating their next move. Back to the Roots has an eclectic portfolio of products, including ready-to-grow (e.g., gardens in a can) and ready-to-eat (e.g., cereal) products, and they are being courted by two major players in each category. With an award-winning snack bar in their hands, they are now debating whether they should delve further in to the ready-to-eat category. It is a competitive space and they wonder if they are ready to launch yet another new product and, if so, what this move would mean for their ready-to-grow product line.

  Keywords: organic food; Startup; crowdfunding; sustainability; transparency; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Product Development; Product Marketing; Growth and Development Strategy; Decision Making; Food; Food and Beverage Industry;

  Citation:

  Keenan, Elizabeth A., and Leslie K. John. "Back to the Roots." Harvard Business School Case 518-073, June 2018. (Revised October 2019.) (Email mking@hbs.edu for a courtesy copy.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019 (Revised October 2019)

  Aura Biosciences: Bringing a Breakthrough Drug to Market

  Robert J. Dolan and Navid Mojir

  Citation:

  Dolan, Robert J., and Navid Mojir. "Aura Biosciences: Bringing a Breakthrough Drug to Market." Harvard Business School Case 520-032, September 2019. (Revised October 2019.)  View Details

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