Understanding the Emotional Aspects of Escalation of Commitment: The Role of Negative Affect

Despite the importance of understanding the emotional aspects of organizational decision making, prior research has paid scant attention to the role of emotion in escalation of commitment. This article attempts to fill this gap by examining the relationship between negative affect and escalation of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied psychology 2006-03, Vol.91 (2), p.282-297
Main Authors: Wong, Kin Fai Ellick, Yik, Michelle, Kwong, Jessica Y. Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
Adolescent
Adult
Affect
Behavioural psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition
Commitment
Commitments
Conflict
Coping
Correlation
Correlation analysis
Decision Making
Decision Making, Organizational
Emotional Response
Emotions
Escalation behaviour
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Human relations
Humans
Industrial psychology
Interpersonal Relationship
Male
Miscellaneous
Negative affect
Negative Attitudes
Negativism
Neuroticism
Occupational psychology
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Communication
Organizations
Personality
Personality Inventory
Personality Traits
Prediction
Psychological Patterns
Psychological Theory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Role
Social psychology
Studies
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Summary:Despite the importance of understanding the emotional aspects of organizational decision making, prior research has paid scant attention to the role of emotion in escalation of commitment. This article attempts to fill this gap by examining the relationship between negative affect and escalation of commitment. Results showed that regardless of whether negative affect was measured as a dispositional trait (Neuroticism) in Studies 1 and 2 or as a transient mood state in Study 3, it was negatively correlated with escalation tendency when one was personally responsible for a prior decision. This pattern of results is consistent with the predictions derived from the coping perspective, suggesting that people seek to escape from the unpleasant emotions that are associated with escalation situations.
ISSN:0021-9010
1939-1854
DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.91.2.282