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Effect of Self-Accountability on Self-Regulatory Behaviour: A Quasi-Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Amit Dhiman

    (Indian Institute of Management Calcutta)

  • Arindam Sen

    (HSBC)

  • Priyank Bhardwaj

    (PWC)

Abstract

An individual’s accountability to oneself leads to self-regulatory behaviour. A field experiment afforded an opportunity to test this relation, given that external accountability conditions were absent. A single group pre-test/post-test design was used to test the hypothesis. A group of full-time resident management students, n ≈ 550, take four meals during the day in the institute mess. As a part of the experiment, food wastage in the form of leftovers on the plates of subjects was measured. As a pre-test, the measurement occurred at two levels. Subjects could see how much they are adding to the total waste by looking at a weighing scale placed under a waste basket, and they could also see the total waste data for each of the four meals for the day and a day earlier displayed at a prominent place. After 105 days, the weighing scale under the basket was removed, and as a post-test measurement, the total waste data for the four meals were noted down for another 72 days. A manipulation test indicated that the experiment has had the desired effect of invoking self-accountability in subjects during the pre-test phase, and diluting it during the post-test phase. Time series analysis of pre-test and post-test data indicated that the wastage data decreased in the pre-test phase. However, the post-test waste data showed an increase over a period of time. The results indicate that accountability conditions like social norms invoke self-accountability cognition leading to self-regulatory behaviours in individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Amit Dhiman & Arindam Sen & Priyank Bhardwaj, 2018. "Effect of Self-Accountability on Self-Regulatory Behaviour: A Quasi-Experiment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 79-97, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:148:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2995-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2995-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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