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ERIC Number: EJ1381037
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Jun
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0175
EISSN: EISSN-2162-6057
Why We Support Some Original Ideas but Reject Others: An Application of Signaling Theory
Hunter, Samuel T.; Blocker, Lily D.; Gutworth, Melissa B.; Allen, Julian
Journal of Creative Behavior, v57 n2 p199-220 Jun 2023
Although organizations say new ideas are desirable, investing in original products rather than the "tried and true" can be unsettling for decision-makers. This discomfort may be due, in part, to uncertainty surrounding whether a new idea will prove successful. As such, the originality of a creative idea can be paradoxically viewed both as an asset, driving up appeal, as well as a detrimental risk. To help unpack these relationships, we propose that how an original idea is proposed (i.e., pitched) plays a central role in the support it receives. Guided by signaling theory we examined how pitch quality relates to funding for ideas with varying degrees of originality. In a field sample of 245 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns, pitch quality for ideas high in originality predicted investment in such ideas. In a follow-up experimental study, we created high- and low-quality pitches for two products, also varying product originality and product quality. Results highlight the importance of high-quality pitches for highly original ideas that are associated with reductions in uncertainty. Supplemental analyses suggest that high-quality pitches improve enthusiasm for a product as well, highlighting a potential second path of support influence.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A