Publications
Publications
- 2024
- HBS Working Paper Series
Greenlighting Innovative Projects: How Evaluation Format Shapes the Perceived Feasibility of Novel Ideas
By: Jacqueline N. Lane, Tianxi Cai, Michael Menietti, Griffin Weber and Eva C. Guinan
Abstract
Evaluation of novel projects is essential for scientific and technological advancement. However,
evaluator bias toward a project’s potential can obscure its limitations. This study investigates
evaluation formats by contrasting combined assessments of novelty and feasibility with
feasibility-only evaluations. In collaboration with a leading research university, we executed a
field experiment during a grant-funding opportunity where evaluators were exogenously
assigned either a “combined-standard” evaluation or a “feasibility-only” evaluation. Results
indicate that, relative to feasibility-only evaluators, combined-standard evaluators assign higher
feasibility scores to novel projects, possibly overlooking limitations that could hinder a project’s
implementation. In contrast, a feasibility-only approach might improve early detection of reasons
novel projects could fail, suggesting that single-criterion evaluations of project feasibility could
be more effective in recognizing potential pitfalls in innovative projects.
Keywords
Citation
Lane, Jacqueline N., Tianxi Cai, Michael Menietti, Griffin Weber, and Eva C. Guinan. "Greenlighting Innovative Projects: How Evaluation Format Shapes the Perceived Feasibility of Novel Ideas." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 24-064, March 2024.