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      • Faculty Publications  (33)

      Consumer Perception Remove Consumer Perception →

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      • April 2022
      • Article

      Consumers Value Effort over Ease When Caring for Close Others

      By: Ximena Garcia-Rada, Mary Steffel, Elanor F. Williams and Michael I. Norton
      Many products and services are designed to make caregiving easier, from premade meals for feeding families to robo-cribs that automatically rock babies to sleep. Yet, using these products may come with a cost: consumers may feel they have not exerted enough effort....  View Details
      Keywords: Effor; Caregiving; Close Relationships; Symbolic Meaning; Signaling; Relationships; Consumer Behavior; Perception
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      Garcia-Rada, Ximena, Mary Steffel, Elanor F. Williams, and Michael I. Norton. "Consumers Value Effort over Ease When Caring for Close Others." Journal of Consumer Research 48, no. 6 (April 2022): 970–990.
      • January 2022
      • Article

      Rejections Make the Heart Grow Fonder: The Benefits of Articulating Risks When Declining Social Invitations

      By: Ashley Whillans, Anne Wilson and Tobias Schlager (Shared Authorship)
      Across six studies (N=3,591), we explore the interpersonal consequences of COVID-19 risk communication when rejecting social invitations. In Study 1, consumers underestimate the benefits and overestimate the social costs of explicitly rejecting social invitations for...  View Details
      Keywords: COVID; Social Invitations; Interpersonal Perception; Health Pandemics; Risk and Uncertainty; Interpersonal Communication
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      Whillans, Ashley, Anne Wilson, and Tobias Schlager (Shared Authorship). "Rejections Make the Heart Grow Fonder: The Benefits of Articulating Risks When Declining Social Invitations." Journal of the Association for Consumer Research 7, no. 1 (January 2022): 124–132.
      • October 2021
      • Article

      Communicating Resource Scarcity and Interpersonal Connection

      By: Grant E. Donnelly, Anne V. Wilson, Ashley V. Whillans and Michael I. Norton
      Consumers often cite insufficient time or money as an excuse for rejecting social invitations. We explore the effectiveness of these excuses in preserving interpersonal relationships. Six studies—including perceptions of couples planning their wedding—demonstrate that...  View Details
      Keywords: Time; Interpersonal Relationships; Communication; Money; Relationships; Interpersonal Communication
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      Donnelly, Grant E., Anne V. Wilson, Ashley V. Whillans, and Michael I. Norton. "Communicating Resource Scarcity and Interpersonal Connection." Journal of Consumer Psychology 31, no. 4 (October 2021): 726–745.
      • July 2021
      • Article

      Consumers—Especially Women—Avoid Buying from Firms with Higher Gender Pay Gaps

      By: Tobias Schlager, Bhavya Mohan, Katherine DeCelles and Michael I. Norton
      We document a unique driver of consumer behavior: the public disclosure of a firm’s gender pay gap. Four experiments provide causal evidence that when firms are revealed to have gender pay gaps, consumers are less willing to pay for their goods, a reaction driven by...  View Details
      Keywords: Pay Gap; Perceived Wage Fairness; Purchase Intention; Gender; Wages; Fairness; Perception; Consumer Behavior
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      Schlager, Tobias, Bhavya Mohan, Katherine DeCelles, and Michael I. Norton. "Consumers—Especially Women—Avoid Buying from Firms with Higher Gender Pay Gaps." Special Issue on Consumer Psychology for the Greater Good. Journal of Consumer Psychology 31, no. 3 (July 2021): 518–531.
      • July–August 2021
      • Article

      Surfacing the Submerged State: Operational Transparency Increases Trust in and Engagement with Government

      By: Ryan W. Buell, Ethan Porter and Michael I. Norton
      Problem definition: As trust in government reaches historic lows, frustration with government performance approaches record highs. Academic/practical relevance: We propose that in co-productive settings like government services, peoples’ trust and...  View Details
      Keywords: Government Services; Behavioral Operations; Operational Transparency; Government Administration; Service Operations; Programs; Perception; Attitudes; Behavior; Trust
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      Buell, Ryan W., Ethan Porter, and Michael I. Norton. "Surfacing the Submerged State: Operational Transparency Increases Trust in and Engagement with Government." Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 23, no. 4 (July–August 2021): 781–802.
      • 2021
      • Working Paper

      Risk Sensitivity or Social Signaling? Unmasking Behaviors with Video Analytics

      By: Shunyuan Zhang, Kaiquan Xu and Kannan Srinivasan
      In 2020, as the novel coronavirus spread globally, face masks were recommended in public settings to protect against and slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Why did people comply, or not, while shopping in 2020? Do these motivations relate to their shopping...  View Details
      Keywords: Video Analytics; In-store Shopping; Mask; Sensitivity To Risk; Social Perception; COVID-19; Health Pandemics; Consumer Behavior; Risk and Uncertainty; Attitudes
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      Zhang, Shunyuan, Kaiquan Xu, and Kannan Srinivasan. "Risk Sensitivity or Social Signaling? Unmasking Behaviors with Video Analytics." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-143, June 2021. (SSRN Working Paper Series, No. 3871144, June 2021.)
      • February 2021
      • Article

      How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice

      By: Ryan W. Buell and Basak Kalkanci
      Amid growing calls for transparency and social and environmental responsibility, companies are employing different strategies to improve consumer perceptions of their brands. Some pursue internal initiatives that reduce their negative social or environmental impacts...  View Details
      Keywords: Sustainable Operations; Corporate Social Responsibility; Operational Transparency; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Operations; Environmental Sustainability; Consumer Behavior; Perception
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      Buell, Ryan W., and Basak Kalkanci. "How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice." Management Science 67, no. 2 (February 2021): 932–950.
      • January 2021
      • Case

      Value-Based Insurance Design at Onex

      By: Joshua Schwartzstein, Amitabh Chandra and Amram Migdal
      The operating executives of Health and Benefits for Onex Partners, Megan Jackson Frye and Sam Camens, faced a challenge: Healthcare costs for employees of Onex’s portfolio companies were continuing to rise above the consumer price index, reflecting broader trends...  View Details
      Keywords: Decision Making; Cost vs Benefits; Decision Choices and Conditions; Decisions; Finance; Behavioral Finance; Insurance; Health; Health Care and Treatment; Human Resources; Compensation and Benefits; Markets; Demand and Consumers; Consumer Behavior; Social Psychology; Behavior; Interests; Motivation and Incentives; Perception; Health Industry; Insurance Industry; North America; United States
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      Schwartzstein, Joshua, Amitabh Chandra, and Amram Migdal. "Value-Based Insurance Design at Onex." Harvard Business School Case 921-023, January 2021.
      • 2020
      • Working Paper

      'Repayment-by-Purchase' Helps Consumers to Reduce Credit Card Debt

      By: Grant E. Donnelly, Cait Lamberton, Stephen Bush, Zoe Chance and Michael I. Norton
      Many consumers struggle to repay their credit card debt, in part because paying small portions of large bills often feels fruitless. We introduce a novel credit card payment option—repayment-by-purchase—and examine its influence on both the amount consumers’ repay and...  View Details
      Keywords: Consumer Debt; Goal Pursuit; Goal Progress; Financial Decison-making; Personal Finance; Credit Cards; Borrowing and Debt; Goals and Objectives; Motivation and Incentives; Decision Making
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      Donnelly, Grant E., Cait Lamberton, Stephen Bush, Zoe Chance, and Michael I. Norton. "'Repayment-by-Purchase' Helps Consumers to Reduce Credit Card Debt." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-060, November 2020.
      • 2020
      • Working Paper

      Consumers Punish Firms That Cut Employee Pay in Response to COVID-19

      By: Bhavya Mohan, Serena Hagerty and Michael Norton
      Two experiments, including one incentive compatible study, examine the impact of cutting pay for executives versus employees in response to COVID-19 on consumer behavior. Study 1 explores the effect of announcing cuts or no cuts to CEO and employee pay, and shows that...  View Details
      Keywords: Employee Furloughs; CEO Pay Cuts; Pay Ratios; Purchase Intention; Health Pandemics; Employees; Wages; Executive Compensation; Consumer Behavior
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      Mohan, Bhavya, Serena Hagerty, and Michael Norton. "Consumers Punish Firms That Cut Employee Pay in Response to COVID-19." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-020, August 2020.
      • November 2019
      • Article

      Procedural Justice and the Risks of Consumer Voting

      By: 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...  View Details
      Keywords: Consumer Empowerment; Procedural Justice; Promises; Customer Relationship Management; Voting; Perception; Fairness; Risk Management
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      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.
      • Article

      The Feeling of Not Knowing It All

      By: Haiyang Yang, Ziv Carmon, Dan Ariely and Michael I. Norton
      How do consumers assess their mastery of knowledge they have learned? We explore this question by investigating a common knowledge consumption situation: encountering opportunities for further learning. We argue and show that such opportunities can trigger a...  View Details
      Keywords: Knowledge Consumption; Consumption Of Learning; Judgment Of Knowledge; Feeling Ofknowing; Confidence In Knowledge; WYSIATI; FONKIA; Knowledge Acquisition; Learning; Perception
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      Yang, Haiyang, Ziv Carmon, Dan Ariely, and Michael I. Norton. "The Feeling of Not Knowing It All." Journal of Consumer Psychology 29, no. 3 (July 2019): 455–462.
      • June 2019
      • Article

      Learning to Become a Taste Expert

      By: Kathryn A. Latour and John A. Deighton
      Evidence suggests that consumers seek to become more expert about hedonic products to enhance their enjoyment of future consumption occasions. Current approaches to becoming expert center on cultivating an analytic mindset. In the present research the authors explore...  View Details
      Keywords: Learning; Experience and Expertise; Analysis; Perception
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      Latour, Kathryn A., and John A. Deighton. "Learning to Become a Taste Expert." Journal of Consumer Research 46, no. 1 (June 2019): 1–19.
      • 2022
      • Working Paper

      A Preference for Revision Absent Objective Improvement

      By: Ximena Garcia-Rada, Leslie K. John, Ed O’Brien and Michael I. Norton
      From downloading never-ending updates to tracking ever-newer releases, consumers today are surrounded by revised offerings that purport to have improved upon what was previously available. Although revising things often makes them better, the current research reveals...  View Details
      Keywords: Product Change; Versioning; Expectancy Effects; Heuristics; Intuitive Processing; Product Marketing; Change; Perception; Consumer Behavior
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      Garcia-Rada, Ximena, Leslie K. John, Ed O’Brien, and Michael I. Norton. "A Preference for Revision Absent Objective Improvement." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 19-087, February 2019. (Revised February 2022. Revise and resubmit, Journal of Marketing Research.)
      • 2019
      • Working Paper

      Communicating Resource Scarcity

      By: Grant E. Donnelly, Anne Wilson, A.V. Whillans and Michael I. Norton
      The development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships require investments of both money and time—resources that are often limited in supply, but in great demand. Indeed, consumers are regularly asked to dedicate their money and time to social engagements, and...  View Details
      Keywords: Interpersonal Relationships; Time; Communication; Relationships; Money; Perception
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      Donnelly, Grant E., Anne Wilson, A.V. Whillans, and Michael I. Norton. "Communicating Resource Scarcity." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 19-066, January 2019.
      • 2018
      • Working Paper

      Learning to Become a Taste Expert

      By: Kathryn A. Latour and John A. Deighton
      Evidence suggests that consumers seek to become more expert about hedonic products to enhance their enjoyment of future consumption occasions. Current approaches to becoming an expert center on cultivating an analytic mindset. In the present research the authors...  View Details
      Keywords: Hedonic; Wine; Expertise; Holistic; Analytic; Sensory; Taste; Learning; Experience and Expertise; Analysis; Perception
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      Latour, Kathryn A., and John A. Deighton. "Learning to Become a Taste Expert." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 18-107, June 2018.
      • 2018
      • Article

      Overcoming Barriers to Time-Saving: Reminders of Future Busyness Encourage Consumers to Buy Time

      By: A.V. Whillans, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Michael I. Norton
      Spending money on time-saving purchases improves happiness. Yet, people often fail to spend their money in this way. Because most people believe that the future will be less busy than the present, they may underweight the value of these purchases. We examine the impact...  View Details
      Keywords: Consumer Choice; Sharing Economy; Opportunity Cost; Time-as Money; Well-being; Time Management; Happiness; Perception; Behavior
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      Whillans, A.V., Elizabeth W. Dunn, and Michael I. Norton. "Overcoming Barriers to Time-Saving: Reminders of Future Busyness Encourage Consumers to Buy Time." Social Influence 13, no. 2 (2018): 117–124.
      • June 2017
      • Article

      Creating Reciprocal Value Through Operational Transparency

      By: Ryan W. Buell, Tami Kim and Chia-Jung Tsay
      We investigate whether organizations can create value by introducing visual transparency between consumers and producers. Although operational transparency has been shown to improve consumer perceptions of service value, existing theory posits that increased contact...  View Details
      Keywords: Operational Transparency; Service Management; Production Management; Organizational Performance; Behavioral Operations; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Consumer Behavior; Labor; Organizational Design; Operations; Service Industry; United States; Kenya
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      Buell, Ryan W., Tami Kim, and Chia-Jung Tsay. "Creating Reciprocal Value Through Operational Transparency." Management Science 63, no. 6 (June 2017): 1673–1695.
      • Article

      Social Recycling Transforms Unwanted Goods into Happiness

      By: Grant Edward Donnelly, Cait Lamberton, Rebecca Walker Reczek and Michael I. Norton
      Consumers are often surrounded by resources that once offered meaning or happiness but that have lost this subjective value over time—even as they retain their objective utility. We explore the potential for social recycling—disposing of used goods by allowing other...  View Details
      Keywords: Disposition; Well-being; Prosocial Behavior; Pro-environmental Behavior; Happiness; Behavior; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Environmental Sustainability
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      Donnelly, Grant Edward, Cait Lamberton, Rebecca Walker Reczek, and Michael I. Norton. "Social Recycling Transforms Unwanted Goods into Happiness." Journal of the Association for Consumer Research 2, no. 1 (January 2017): 48–63.
      • August 2016
      • Article

      The Role of (Dis)similarity in (Mis)predicting Others' Preferences

      By: Kate Barasz, Tami Kim and Leslie K. John
      Consumers readily indicate liking options that appear dissimilar—for example, enjoying both rustic lake vacations and chic city vacations or liking both scholarly documentary films and action-packed thrillers. However, when predicting other consumers’ tastes for the...  View Details
      Keywords: Perceived Similarity; Prediction Error; Preference Prediction; Self-other Difference; Social Inference; Cognition and Thinking; Perception; Forecasting and Prediction
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      Barasz, Kate, Tami Kim, and Leslie K. John. "The Role of (Dis)similarity in (Mis)predicting Others' Preferences." Journal of Marketing Research (JMR) 53, no. 4 (August 2016): 597–607.
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