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Public Speaking Aversion

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Buser

    (University of Amsterdam, 1018 WB Amsterdam, Netherlands; Tinbergen Institute, 1082 MS Amsterdam, Netherlands)

  • Huaiping Yuan

    (University of Amsterdam, 1018 WB Amsterdam, Netherlands; Tinbergen Institute, 1082 MS Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Abstract

Fear of public speaking is very common, but we know little about its implications for individuals and organizations. We establish public speaking aversion as an economically relevant preference using three steps. First, we use laboratory and classroom experiments to show that preferences for speaking in public vary strongly across individuals with many participants willing to give up significant amounts of money to avoid giving a short presentation in front of an audience. Second, we introduce two self-reported items to elicit preferences for speaking in public through surveys. We show that these items are strongly related to choices in the incentivized laboratory experiment and that public speaking aversion is distinct from established traits and preferences, including extraversion. Third, we elicit these items in a survey of business and economics students and show that public speaking aversion predicts career expectations. Public speaking–averse individuals avoid careers in management consulting and are more attracted to data analyst and back office careers.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Buser & Huaiping Yuan, 2023. "Public Speaking Aversion," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(5), pages 2746-2760, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:69:y:2023:i:5:p:2746-2760
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2022.4500
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public speaking; validated survey measures; human capital; career choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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