Consistency as a Signal of Skills

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Falk, Armin; Zimmermann, Florian
• 署名单位: University of Bonn; University of Zurich
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2016.2459
• 发表日期: 2017
• 页码: 2197-2210
• 关键词: Consistency; signaling; Image concerns; experiments; leadership; principal-agent relationships

摘要

This paper studies the role of consistency as a signaling device. We propose a two-period model that highlights the informativeness of consistency as a signal of skills and allows for the analysis of consequences for behavior. In a simple principal-agent experiment, we test the basic intuition of the model. We show that consistency is indeed associated with skills. Consequently, consistency is valued by others, inducing people to act consistently.