The Effects of Peer-Recognition Systems on Help Seeking

45 Pages Posted: 14 Jan 2022

See all articles by Joe Burke

Joe Burke

Indiana University

Ryan Sommerfeldt

Brigham Young University - School of Accountancy

Laura W. Wang

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Date Written: January 2022

Abstract

Although peer-recognition systems have increased in popularity in practice, we have little empirical evidence supporting their benefits and understand little about the mechanisms through which these benefits are achieved. We study the effects of peer recognition on employees’ propensity to seek help, the primary driver for helping interactions at work. We find that peer-recognition systems have the potential to increase help seeking. However, this benefit is moderated by whether the system is broadly adopted by all employees or narrowly adopted by subsets of employees. Specifically, when employees belong to a group that uses the peer-recognition system, they perceive a help-seeking norm that is relevant for their own behavior, increasing their propensity to seek help. In contrast, when employees belong to a group that does not use the recognition system, they perceive the help-seeking norm to be irrelevant for their own behavior, which reduces their propensity to seek help.

Keywords: employee recognition, help-seeking, helping, peer recognition, peer-recognition

Suggested Citation

Burke, Joseph and Sommerfeldt, Ryan and Wang, Laura W., The Effects of Peer-Recognition Systems on Help Seeking (January 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4008650 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4008650

Joseph Burke

Indiana University ( email )

1309 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States

Ryan Sommerfeldt (Contact Author)

Brigham Young University - School of Accountancy ( email )

United States

Laura W. Wang

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL Champaign 61820
United States
4696844455 (Phone)

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