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Power gained, power lost

Author

Listed:
  • Sivanathan, Niro
  • Pillutla, Madan M.
  • Keith Murnighan, J.

Abstract

Changes in power almost invariably lead to changes in behavior. This research investigates the effects of power increases and power decreases for individuals who are in strong or weak positions. We hypothesized that individuals will have strong reactions to gains in power (their demands will increase markedly) but they will act almost as though they do not recognize losses in power (their demands will not drop much) when they lose power. Four experiments track individuals' actions when they move from ultimatum to dictatorship games, from dictatorship to ultimatum games, or when they have the same power position repeatedly. The data consistently show that people over-react to an increase in power, but that they react appropriately to a loss in power. The discussion explores the behavioral disconnect between increases and decreases in power.

Suggested Citation

  • Sivanathan, Niro & Pillutla, Madan M. & Keith Murnighan, J., 2008. "Power gained, power lost," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 105(2), pages 135-146, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:105:y:2008:i:2:p:135-146
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xingbo Li & Shalini Sarin Jain & Yiqin Alicia Shen & Shailendra Pratap Jain, 2021. "Power and Message Framing: the Case of Comparative Advertising," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 8(1), pages 41-49, June.
    2. Pettit, Nathan C. & Doyle, Sarah P. & Kim, Hee Young & Hurwitz, Anat, 2022. "Rank extrapolation: Asymmetric forecasts of future rank after rank change," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Murnighan, J. Keith & Wang, Long, 2016. "The social world as an experimental game," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 80-94.
    4. Sebastian Schuh & Xin-an Zhang & Peng Tian, 2013. "For the Good or the Bad? Interactive Effects of Transformational Leadership with Moral and Authoritarian Leadership Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 629-640, September.
    5. Brion, Sebastien & Anderson, Cameron, 2013. "The loss of power: How illusions of alliance contribute to powerholders’ downfall," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 121(1), pages 129-139.
    6. Pettit, Nathan C. & Doyle, Sarah P. & Lount, Robert B. & To, Christopher, 2016. "Cheating to get ahead or to avoid falling behind? The effect of potential negative versus positive status change on unethical behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 172-183.
    7. Nir Halevy, 2020. "Strategic thinking and behavior during a pandemic," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 15(5), pages 648-659, September.
    8. Brady, Garrett L. & Inesi, M. Ena & Mussweiler, Thomas, 2021. "The power of lost alternatives in negotiations," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 59-80.
    9. repec:cup:judgdm:v:15:y:2020:i:5:p:648-659 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Catherine Molho & Daniel Balliet & Junhui Wu, 2019. "Hierarchy, Power, and Strategies to Promote Cooperation in Social Dilemmas," Games, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15, February.
    11. Wiltermuth, Scott S. & Raj, Medha & Wood, Adam, 2018. "How perceived power influences the consequences of dominance expressions in negotiations," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 14-30.

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