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Power, competitiveness, and advice taking: Why the powerful don't listen

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tost, LP; Gino, F; Larrick, RP
Published in: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
January 1, 2012

Four experiments test the prediction that feelings of power lead individuals to discount advice received from both experts and novices. Experiment 1 documents a negative relationship between subjective feelings of power and use of advice. Experiments 2 and 3 further show that individuals experiencing neutral and low levels of power weigh advice from experts and experienced advisors more heavily than advice from novices, but individuals experiencing high levels of power discount both novice and expert advice. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrate that this tendency of individuals experiencing high levels of power to discount advice from experts and novices equally is mediated by feelings of competitiveness (Experiment 3) and confidence (Experiments 3 and 4). Finally, Experiment 4 shows that inducing high power individuals to feel cooperative with their advisors can mitigate this tendency, leading them to weigh expert advice more heavily than advice from novices. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

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Published In

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

DOI

ISSN

0749-5978

Publication Date

January 1, 2012

Volume

117

Issue

1

Start / End Page

53 / 65

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 52 Psychology
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
 

Citation

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Tost, L. P., Gino, F., & Larrick, R. P. (2012). Power, competitiveness, and advice taking: Why the powerful don't listen. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 117(1), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.10.001
Tost, L. P., F. Gino, and R. P. Larrick. “Power, competitiveness, and advice taking: Why the powerful don't listen.” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 117, no. 1 (January 1, 2012): 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.10.001.
Tost LP, Gino F, Larrick RP. Power, competitiveness, and advice taking: Why the powerful don't listen. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2012 Jan 1;117(1):53–65.
Tost, L. P., et al. “Power, competitiveness, and advice taking: Why the powerful don't listen.” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 117, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 53–65. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.10.001.
Tost LP, Gino F, Larrick RP. Power, competitiveness, and advice taking: Why the powerful don't listen. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2012 Jan 1;117(1):53–65.
Journal cover image

Published In

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

DOI

ISSN

0749-5978

Publication Date

January 1, 2012

Volume

117

Issue

1

Start / End Page

53 / 65

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 52 Psychology
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services