More from the Author

• Article | Journal of Experimental Psychology: General | February 2019

  Pettiness in Social Exchange

  Tami Kim, Ting Zhang and Michael I. Norton

  We identify and document a novel construct—pettiness, or intentional attentiveness to trivial details—and examine its (negative) implications in interpersonal relationships and social exchange. Seven studies show that pettiness manifests across different types of resources (both money and time), across cultures with differing tolerance for ambiguity in relationships (the United States, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria), and is distinct from related constructs such as generosity, conscientiousness, fastidious, and counter-normativity. Indeed, people dislike petty exchanges even when the (petty) amount given is more generous (e.g., a gift card for $5.15 rather than $5), suggesting that pettiness may in some instances serve as a stronger relationship signal than actual benefits exchanged. Attentiveness to trivial details of resource exchanges harms communal-sharing relationships by making (even objectively generous) exchanges feel transactional. When exchanging resources, people should be wary of both how much they exchange and the manner in which they exchange.

  Keywords: Relationships; Personal Characteristics; Perception; Societal Protocols;

  Citation:

  Kim, Tami, Ting Zhang, and Michael I. Norton. "Pettiness in Social Exchange." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148, no. 2 (February 2019): 361–373.  View Details

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• Article | Academy of Management Journal

  Does 'Could' Lead to Good? On the Road to Moral Insight

  Ting Zhang, Francesca Gino and Joshua D. Margolis

  Dilemmas featuring competing moral imperatives are prevalent in organizations and are difficult to resolve. Whereas prior research has focused on how individuals adjudicate among these moral imperatives, we study the factors that influence when individuals find solutions that fall outside of the salient options presented. In particular, we study moral insight, or the discovery of solutions, other than selecting one of the competing moral imperatives over another, that honor both competing imperatives or resolve the tension among them. Although individuals intuitively consider the question “What should I do?” when contemplating moral dilemmas, we find that prompting people to consider “What could I do?” helps them generate moral insight. Together, these studies point toward the conditions that enable moral insight and important practical implications.

  Keywords: Moral insight; Ethical dilemma; Could mindset; Divergent thinking; Moral Sensibility; Creativity; Decision Choices and Conditions;

  Citation:

  Zhang, Ting, Francesca Gino, and Joshua D. Margolis. "Does 'Could' Lead to Good? On the Road to Moral Insight." Academy of Management Journal 61, no. 3 (June 2018): 857–895.  View Details

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• Article | Management Science | June 2017

  The Surprising Effectiveness of Hostile Mediators

  Ting Zhang, Francesca Gino and Michael I. Norton

  Contrary to the tendency of mediators to defuse negative emotions between adversaries by treating them kindly, we demonstrate the surprising effectiveness of hostile mediators in resolving conflict. Hostile mediators generate greater willingness to reach agreements between adversaries (Experiment 1). Consequently, negotiators interacting with hostile mediators are better able to reach agreements in incentive-compatible negotiations than those interacting with nice mediators (Experiments 2). By serving as common enemies, hostile mediators cause adversaries in conflict to feel more connected and become more willing to reach agreement (Experiments 3 and 4). Finally, we manipulate the target of mediators’ hostility to document the moderating role of common enemies: mediators who directed their hostility toward both negotiators (bilateral hostility)—becoming a common enemy—increased willingness to reach agreement; those who directed hostility at just one negotiator (unilateral hostility) did not serve as common enemies, eliminating the hostile mediator effect (Experiment 5). We discuss theoretical and practical implications and suggest future directions.

  Keywords: mediation; conflict; negotiation; emotions; hostility; Negotiation Style; Emotions; Conflict and Resolution;

  Citation:

  Zhang, Ting, Francesca Gino, and Michael I. Norton. "The Surprising Effectiveness of Hostile Mediators." Management Science 63, no. 6 (June 2017): 1972–1992.  View Details

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