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Responding to problems: actions are rewarded, regardless of the outcome

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  • Asmus Leth Olsen

Abstract

When faced with a problem, policymakers have a choice of action or inaction. Psychological research shows varying results on how individuals evaluate (in)actions conditional on the subsequent outcome. I replicate, generalize, and extend this research into a public management setting with two independent experiments embedded in a nationally representative sample of Danish citizens (n = 2,007).Both experiments show that actions are evaluated more positively than inactions – regardless of the outcome. This finding runs contrary to the inaction (or omission) bias but is consistent with evidence on a “norm of action”, in response to poor performance in political–administrative settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Asmus Leth Olsen, 2017. "Responding to problems: actions are rewarded, regardless of the outcome," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(9), pages 1352-1364, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpxmxx:v:19:y:2017:i:9:p:1352-1364
    DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2017.1281998
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    Cited by:

    1. Aaron Deslatte, 2019. "A bayesian approach for behavioral public administration: Citizen assessments of local government sustainability performance," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 2(1).
    2. Agata Jurkowska-Gomułka & Kamilla Kurczewska & Katarzyna Kurzępa-Dedo, 2020. "Understanding Administrative Silence: A View Of Public Officers From The Subcarpathia," Public administration issues, Higher School of Economics, issue 6, pages 98-117.

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