THE EFFECT OF OTHER-ORIENTED VALUES ON DECISION-MAKING - A TEST OF PROPOSITIONS OF A THEORY OF CONCERN FOR OTHERS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Based on recent theoretical work by Simon (1990, 1993), we proposed th at the value of concern for others would reflect a general process whe reby individuals place less value on personal outcomes and are less di sposed to engage in rational calculations involving costs and benefits . We conducted two studies to examine whether these mechanisms general ize to situations that do not involve helping others. In the first stu dy, persons high in concern for others were less attracted to choices involving the prospect of personal gain and were less discerning about the value and risk involved in making choices than were individuals l ow in concern for others. The second study showed that positive affect ive arousal, which is likely to focus attention on personal concerns, moderated the effects observed in the first study. Results suggest tha t other-oriented values such as concern for others may have a substant ial impact on a wide range of organizational processes beyond helping. (C) 1996 Academic Press.