Research on Delegating Shows How Uncomfortable We Are Making Choices for Others

by Mary Steffel, Elanor F. Williams and Jaclyn Perrmann-Graham

August 30, 2016

People can be notoriously reluctant to give up control. Managers often hesitate to delegate tasks and decision making to others, even when they would benefit from doing so. Yet anyone who has worked in a large organization will tell you that, just as often, decisions can get passed from person to person, making it difficult for everyone to get work done. So how do we encourage delegating when it’s beneficial and reduce it when it’s not?

Mary Steffel is an associate professor of marketing at D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University. Her research focuses on examining when we call upon others to help us make decisions, how we navigate making decisions for others, and how we can support others in making better decisions. See her faculty page here.

Elanor F. Williams is an associate professor of marketing at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on how consumers make judgments and decisions in social contexts. See her faculty page here.

Jaclyn Perrmann-Graham is a doctoral candidate in management at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include employee membership, leadership, and identity. Her research has been presented at the Academy of Management annual conferences and published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.