How To Overcome the Bias We Have Toward Our Own Ideas

Author(s)
Fabian J. Sting, Christoph Fuchs, Maik Schlickel, Oliver Alexy
Abstract

Research in innovation suggests that most ideators overvalue their ideas. Unsurprisingly, this tendency is positively correlated with status. Less obviously, line employees working in teams are also likely to overvalue ideas they come up with. Both biases are related to social identity, but they do not reinforce each other (a manager in a team is not more overconfident than a manager working alone). To deal effectively with the bias, separate ideation from idea assessment and cut the solo employee with an idea a bit more slack than you would managers and employee teams.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
Universität zu Köln, Technische Universität München, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Nobilia
Journal
Harvard Business Review
ISSN
0017-8012
Publication date
05-2019
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502019 Marketing
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/9ea32954-def7-47c9-8afc-737e967a6d05