Petr Houdek
@petrhoudek.bsky.social
Research in behavioral ethics, dishonesty, forensic economics, and behavioral interventions | Professor at Prague University of Economics and Business @vsecz.bsky.social
houdekpetr.cz/?q=node/9
houdekpetr.cz/?q=node/9
9/N Link to the paper: doi.org/10.1007/s118...
Prosocietal but powerless: the struggle to persuade and lead for ethical goals - Review of Managerial Science
This study explores whether prosocietal individuals can use influence tactics to gain power and reduce socially harmful practices in organizations, despite resistance from peers prioritizing short-term gains. By theoretically driven integration of championing, CSR/ESG, and organizational politics literature, we introduce Benevolent Machiavellianism, i.e., prosocietal organizational politics. In a behavioral task with four-person groups (N = 466), participants repeatedly withdrew funds from a charity pool before competing for votes on decision-making authority. Widespread antisocial behavior persisted, as prosocietal players failed to curb it. Those who deviated from group norms received fewer votes, showing the importance of group alignment over traditional influence tactics. While political skill boosted confidence in persuasion, it had little impact on actual outcomes. Meanwhile, malevolent Machiavellianism and power motives predicted greater charity withdrawals in the final stage. By treating the rarity of Benevolent Machiavellians (estimated to consist around 1.5% of the sample) as the focal issue, we theorize structural powerlessness as a norm- and incentive-based barrier to prosocietal insider change.
doi.org
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
9/N Link to the paper: doi.org/10.1007/s118...
8/N The implication is: organizations cannot rely only on courageous individuals or speak-up culture.
Ethical change requires governance structures that make prosocietal action politically viable: decision rights, protection, and coalition support.
Ethical change requires governance structures that make prosocietal action politically viable: decision rights, protection, and coalition support.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
8/N The implication is: organizations cannot rely only on courageous individuals or speak-up culture.
Ethical change requires governance structures that make prosocietal action politically viable: decision rights, protection, and coalition support.
Ethical change requires governance structures that make prosocietal action politically viable: decision rights, protection, and coalition support.
7/N The main result: prosocietal individuals mostly failed to gain power.
Only about 1.5% of participants combined clearly prosocial choices with persuasive success.
Political skill increased confidence, but not actual votes.
Only about 1.5% of participants combined clearly prosocial choices with persuasive success.
Political skill increased confidence, but not actual votes.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
7/N The main result: prosocietal individuals mostly failed to gain power.
Only about 1.5% of participants combined clearly prosocial choices with persuasive success.
Political skill increased confidence, but not actual votes.
Only about 1.5% of participants combined clearly prosocial choices with persuasive success.
Political skill increased confidence, but not actual votes.
6/N Then participants could return money to charity, write a message to the group, and compete to become the final decision-maker.
The elected person controlled a much larger charity pool.
This allowed us to test who gains power when ethics conflicts with group benefit.
The elected person controlled a much larger charity pool.
This allowed us to test who gains power when ethics conflicts with group benefit.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
6/N Then participants could return money to charity, write a message to the group, and compete to become the final decision-maker.
The elected person controlled a much larger charity pool.
This allowed us to test who gains power when ethics conflicts with group benefit.
The elected person controlled a much larger charity pool.
This allowed us to test who gains power when ethics conflicts with group benefit.
5/N We tested this in a behavioral task with 466 participants in four-person groups.
Participants repeatedly decided how much money to withdraw from charities. The money benefited the group, but imposed social harm and destroyed value.
Participants repeatedly decided how much money to withdraw from charities. The money benefited the group, but imposed social harm and destroyed value.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
5/N We tested this in a behavioral task with 466 participants in four-person groups.
Participants repeatedly decided how much money to withdraw from charities. The money benefited the group, but imposed social harm and destroyed value.
Participants repeatedly decided how much money to withdraw from charities. The money benefited the group, but imposed social harm and destroyed value.
4/N We call this Benevolent Machiavellianism: strategic influence, coalition-building, and power-seeking used for prosocietal goals.
The idea is intentionally uncomfortable: ethical reform may require political behavior.
The idea is intentionally uncomfortable: ethical reform may require political behavior.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
4/N We call this Benevolent Machiavellianism: strategic influence, coalition-building, and power-seeking used for prosocietal goals.
The idea is intentionally uncomfortable: ethical reform may require political behavior.
The idea is intentionally uncomfortable: ethical reform may require political behavior.
3/N We therefore add a fourth response: fight.
By fight, we mean trying to acquire decision authority from inside the organization.
Not merely persuading the decision-maker. Becoming the decision-maker.
By fight, we mean trying to acquire decision authority from inside the organization.
Not merely persuading the decision-maker. Becoming the decision-maker.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
3/N We therefore add a fourth response: fight.
By fight, we mean trying to acquire decision authority from inside the organization.
Not merely persuading the decision-maker. Becoming the decision-maker.
By fight, we mean trying to acquire decision authority from inside the organization.
Not merely persuading the decision-maker. Becoming the decision-maker.
2/N Classic theory (Hirschman) says employees facing wrongdoing can choose exit, voice, or loyalty.
But in many “bad barrel” organizations, none of these options works well. Leaving changes little, speaking up may be neutralized, and loyalty preserves the status quo.
But in many “bad barrel” organizations, none of these options works well. Leaving changes little, speaking up may be neutralized, and loyalty preserves the status quo.
June 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM
2/N Classic theory (Hirschman) says employees facing wrongdoing can choose exit, voice, or loyalty.
But in many “bad barrel” organizations, none of these options works well. Leaving changes little, speaking up may be neutralized, and loyalty preserves the status quo.
But in many “bad barrel” organizations, none of these options works well. Leaving changes little, speaking up may be neutralized, and loyalty preserves the status quo.
6/ Link here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @vsecz.bsky.social
Improving forecasting abilities of business students: The effectiveness of nudges and performance heterogeneity
The study examines how a simple nudge intervention in class materials improves the forecasting performance of business students. In an experiment with…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
6/ Link here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @vsecz.bsky.social
5/ The broader point for management education: average effects can hide meaningful heterogeneity. A low-cost intervention may do little overall, yet still help the students who need it most.
April 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
5/ The broader point for management education: average effects can hide meaningful heterogeneity. A low-cost intervention may do little overall, yet still help the students who need it most.
4/ Importantly, the improvement was not just a shift toward safer, more conservative 50/50 forecasts. The improvement appears to reflect better probabilistic accuracy.
April 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
4/ Importantly, the improvement was not just a shift toward safer, more conservative 50/50 forecasts. The improvement appears to reflect better probabilistic accuracy.
3/ But the exploratory analyses showed that the nudge helped the lower-performing students. Among stronger students, it had no effect.
April 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
3/ But the exploratory analyses showed that the nudge helped the lower-performing students. Among stronger students, it had no effect.
2/ Overall, the preregistered result was null as the nudge did not significantly improve forecasting accuracy across the full sample.
April 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
2/ Overall, the preregistered result was null as the nudge did not significantly improve forecasting accuracy across the full sample.
11/ All of us co-authors, @bahniks.bsky.social @mvranka.bsky.social and Martin Zielina, are happy that this one found a wonderful home at EJSP: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
How to React in the Case of Powerful Transgressors: Kill Them With Kindness or Punishment?
When wrongdoing is committed by a powerful superior, victims face a strategic dilemma: punish (e.g., confront and report), avoid or forgive. Moral-repair and restorative-justice perspectives suggest ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
11/ All of us co-authors, @bahniks.bsky.social @mvranka.bsky.social and Martin Zielina, are happy that this one found a wonderful home at EJSP: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
10/ This matters for research on abusive supervision, moral repair, retaliation, and employee voice.
A response can be justified and still ineffective.
A response can be emotionally appealing and still strategically weak.
A response can be justified and still ineffective.
A response can be emotionally appealing and still strategically weak.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
10/ This matters for research on abusive supervision, moral repair, retaliation, and employee voice.
A response can be justified and still ineffective.
A response can be emotionally appealing and still strategically weak.
A response can be justified and still ineffective.
A response can be emotionally appealing and still strategically weak.
9/ The broader - and unfortunately cynical - point is that once the wrongdoer is insulated by power, the usual assumptions about deterrence and moral repair become much less reliable.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
9/ The broader - and unfortunately cynical - point is that once the wrongdoer is insulated by power, the usual assumptions about deterrence and moral repair become much less reliable.
8/ The field data also showed that punishment came with costs.
Punishment was associated with greater supervisor retaliation and lower reconciliation.
So the most morally satisfying response was not the one most associated with relational repair.
Punishment was associated with greater supervisor retaliation and lower reconciliation.
So the most morally satisfying response was not the one most associated with relational repair.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
8/ The field data also showed that punishment came with costs.
Punishment was associated with greater supervisor retaliation and lower reconciliation.
So the most morally satisfying response was not the one most associated with relational repair.
Punishment was associated with greater supervisor retaliation and lower reconciliation.
So the most morally satisfying response was not the one most associated with relational repair.
7/ The field study points in the same direction.
In recalled incidents of supervisor misconduct, avoidance was the most common response.
That is not hard to understand, as in hierarchies, self-protection is often the dominant strategy.
In recalled incidents of supervisor misconduct, avoidance was the most common response.
That is not hard to understand, as in hierarchies, self-protection is often the dominant strategy.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
7/ The field study points in the same direction.
In recalled incidents of supervisor misconduct, avoidance was the most common response.
That is not hard to understand, as in hierarchies, self-protection is often the dominant strategy.
In recalled incidents of supervisor misconduct, avoidance was the most common response.
That is not hard to understand, as in hierarchies, self-protection is often the dominant strategy.
6/ So there is a clear gap between what people think should work and what actually changes behavior.
Retribution looks normatively compelling.
Forgiveness looks relationally attractive.
Neither reliably produced moral repair in these power-asymmetric settings.
Retribution looks normatively compelling.
Forgiveness looks relationally attractive.
Neither reliably produced moral repair in these power-asymmetric settings.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
6/ So there is a clear gap between what people think should work and what actually changes behavior.
Retribution looks normatively compelling.
Forgiveness looks relationally attractive.
Neither reliably produced moral repair in these power-asymmetric settings.
Retribution looks normatively compelling.
Forgiveness looks relationally attractive.
Neither reliably produced moral repair in these power-asymmetric settings.
5/ We then tested this in incentivized lab studies with asymmetric power. We found that powerful transgressors were largely unresponsive to whether targets punished or forgave them.
Punishment did not reliably correct them.
Forgiveness did not reliably reform them.
Punishment did not reliably correct them.
Forgiveness did not reliably reform them.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
5/ We then tested this in incentivized lab studies with asymmetric power. We found that powerful transgressors were largely unresponsive to whether targets punished or forgave them.
Punishment did not reliably correct them.
Forgiveness did not reliably reform them.
Punishment did not reliably correct them.
Forgiveness did not reliably reform them.
4/ But people were not naïve about the costs. In the vignette study, participants expected punished superiors to behave more unkindly than forgiven superiors. In other words, punishment was seen as justified, but risky.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
4/ But people were not naïve about the costs. In the vignette study, participants expected punished superiors to behave more unkindly than forgiven superiors. In other words, punishment was seen as justified, but risky.
3/ When the transgression looked more severe, people expected and chose punishment more often. They also forgave less often. Severity moves people toward punishment.
April 1, 2026 at 6:58 AM
3/ When the transgression looked more severe, people expected and chose punishment more often. They also forgave less often. Severity moves people toward punishment.