No abstract

Public managers’ decisions are affected by cognitive biases. For instance, employees’ previous year's performance ratings influence new ratings irrespective of actual performance. Nevertheless, experimental knowledge of public managers’ cognitive biases is limited, and debiasing techniques have rarely been studied. Using a survey experiment on 1,221 public managers and employees in the United Kingdom, this research (1) replicates two experiments on anchoring to establish empirical generalization across institutional contexts and (2) tests a consider‐the‐opposite debiasing technique. The results indicate that anchoring bias replicates in a different institutional context, although effect sizes differ. Furthermore, a low‐cost, low‐intensity consider‐the‐opposite technique mitigates anchoring bias in this survey experiment. An exploratory subgroup analysis indicates that the effect of the intervention depends on context. The next step is to test this strategy in real‐world settings.

Translating medical evidence into practice is difficult. Key challenges in applying evidence-based medicine are information overload and that evidence needs to be used in context by healthcare professionals. Nudging (i.e. softly steering) healthcare professionals towards utilizing evidence-based medicine may be a feasible possibility. This systematic scoping review is the first overview of nudging healthcare professionals in relation to evidence-based medicine. We have investigated a) the distribution of studies on nudging healthcare professionals, b) the nudges tested and behaviors targeted, c) the methodological quality of studies and d) whether the success of nudges is related to context. In terms of distribution, we found a large but scattered field: 100 articles in over 60 different journals, including various types of nudges targeting different behaviors such as hand hygiene or prescribing drugs. Some nudges – especially reminders to deal with information overload – are often applied, while others - such as providing social reference points – are seldom used. The methodological quality is moderate. Success appears to vary in terms of three contextual characteristics: the task, organizational, and occupational contexts. Based on this review, we propose future research directions, particularly related to methods (preregistered research designs to reduce publication bias), nudges (using less-often applied nudges on less studied outcomes), and context (moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches).

Purpose To increase the number of people with disabilities in employment, we need to understand what influences employers’ hiring decisions. In this systematic review, we map out factors affecting employers’ hiring decisions about people with disabilities. Methods This study is a systematic review that applies the COM-B model to identify factors that contribute to employers (not) hiring people with disabilities. The COM-B model proposes that employers will perform hiring behavior (B) if they have the capability (C), opportunity (O) and motivation (M) to do so. We also investigate if factors have a negative, positive or no effect. We report in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Results In a review of 47 studies, we find 32 factors. Most of these factors are barriers. The most frequently mentioned barriers are employers’ (1) expectations that people with disabilities are unproductive, (2) expectations that people with disabilities cost a lot of money, and employers’ (3) lack of knowledge about disabilities. The most researched facilitators for employers to hire people with disabilities include (1) the motivation to help others, (2) working in a large organization, and (3) expecting a competitive advantage. The effect of factors can differ depending on contextual circumstances, including the type of organization, the type of disability and different policies. Conclusions We conclude that hiring decisions are influenced by an array of different barriers and facilitators. The effect of these factors can differ across organizations and disability types. Our study of factors affecting hiring can be used by scholars, policy makers, and organizations to create interventions to increase the hiring of people with disabilities.

Nudging' heeft zijn entree gemaakt als beleids-en managementinstrument, als manier om gedrag te beïnvloeden zonder opties te beperken. In de medische wereld wordt nudging gebruikt om het gedrag van zorgprofessionals te veranderen: van posters die handhygiëne stimuleren tot 'defaults' in systemen om overmatig voorschrijven van specifieke medicijnen te verminderen. Het gebruik van nudges kent echter grote bezwaren, mede in relatie tot de onafhankelijkheid van zorgprofessionals. Ondanks een rijkelijk gevoerde wetenschappelijke discussie over nudging blijven de percepties van zorgprofessionals op nudging zelf onzichtbaar. In dit kwalitatieve onderzoek worden de percepties van zorgprofessionals op nudges blootgelegd. De bevindingen tonen aan dat zorgprofessionals overwegend positief zijn over nudging, maar ook bezorgd zijn over de druk op hun autonomie. Deze zorgen houden verband met veranderende professionaliteit en werk-en regeldruk in de gezondheidszorg. * N.M. Huis in 't Veld, MSc is alumna aan de Universiteit Utrecht, departement Bestuurs-en Organisatiewetenschap. R. Nagtegaal, MSc is promovenda aan de Universiteit Utrecht, departement Bestuurs-en Organisatiewetenschap. Prof. dr. M. Noordegraaf is hoogleraar Publiek Management aan de Universiteit Utrecht, departement Bestuurs-en Organisatiewetenschap.