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Publications

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  • 09 Sep 2014
  • News

It Can Wait – Why We're Such Fantastic Procrastinators

  • 19 Sep 2018
  • News

How To End Procrastination And Finish That Big Project

  • December 16, 2021
  • Article

How to Build a Life: Procrastinate This, Not That

By: Arthur C. Brooks
Related
  • Article

Present Bias Causes and Then Dissipates Auto-enrollment Savings Effects

By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Peter Maxted
Present bias causes procrastination, which leads households to stick with auto-enrollment defaults. However, present bias also engenders overconsumption. Separation from each employer generates a rollover of 401(k) balances to an individual retirement account (IRA)... View Details
Keywords: Present Bias; Procrastination; Personal Finance; Decision Making; Social Psychology; Retirement
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  • November 2013
  • Article

Simplification and Saving

By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian
The daunting complexity of important financial decisions can lead to procrastination. We evaluate a low-cost intervention that substantially simplifies the retirement savings plan participation decision. Individuals received an opportunity to enroll in a retirement... View Details
Keywords: Retirement Savings; Simplification; Procrastination; Behavioral Economics; Saving; Motivation and Incentives; Retirement
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  • October 14, 2019
  • Article

The CEO's Guide to Retirement

By: Bill George
Some CEOs remain in the role too long, hurting investors, employees, and their own legacy. The author sees a frequent reason for that: CEOs don’t know how to identify the optimal time to retire, and they procrastinate because they can’t imagine what they will do after... View Details
Keywords: CEO; Executive Retirement; Retirement; Decision Making; Planning
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  • 05 Jul 2006
  • Working Paper Summaries

Behavioral Operations

Keywords: by Francesca Gino & Gary P. Pisano
  • 2012
  • Article

The Excess Burden of Government Indecision

By: Francisco J. Gomes, Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Luis M. Viceira
Governments are known for procrastinating when it comes to resolving painful policy problems. Whatever the political motives for waiting to decide, procrastination distorts economic decisions relative to what would arise with early policy resolution. In so doing, it... View Details
Keywords: Saving; Risk and Uncertainty; Investment Portfolio; Decision Choices and Conditions; Retirement; Policy; Government and Politics
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  • 22 May 2007
  • First Look

First Look: May 22, 2007

J. Gomes, Laurence J. Kotlikoff, and Luis M. Viceira Abstract Governments are known for procrastinating when it comes to resolving painful policy problems. Whatever the political motives for waiting to decide, View Details
Keywords: Martha Lagace
  • Article

Leaving It to Chance"—Passive Risk Taking in Everyday Life

By: Ruti Keinan and Yoella Bereby-Meyer
While risk research focuses on actions that put people at risk, this paper introduces the concept of "passive risk"—risk brought on or magnified by inaction. We developed a scale measuring personal tendency for passive risk taking (PRT), validated it using a 150... View Details
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  • 20 Apr 2011
  • Research & Ideas

Blind Spots: We’re Not as Ethical as We Think

constrained the "want" self. Ann's teaching assistant used a similar precommitment strategy to constrain her "want" self during finals week. Knowing she should study but would be tempted to procrastinate by spending... View Details
Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne
  • 16 Jul 2007
  • Research & Ideas

Understanding the ‘Want’ vs. ’Should’ Decision

before want DVDs (e.g., action films). Similarly, we predicted and found that should DVDs are held by online renters longer than want DVDs, meaning people procrastinate considerably more about watching documentaries, for example, than... View Details
Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Retail; Entertainment & Recreation
  • 19 Jul 2017
  • Research & Ideas

Why Government 'Nudges' Motivate Good Citizen Behavior

it out later,’” says Beshears. “But then there is never a convenient time.” Providing a deadline, even one that isn’t strictly mandatory, cuts through the procrastination cycle, spurring employees to action. Nudges are less expensive and... View Details
Keywords: by Michael Blanding
  • Portrait Project

Abhi Sharma

I plan to change the odds. So there I was, procrastinating while trying to finish Friday's cases, when out of idle curiosity I decided to find out who else from back home had walked these halls, sat in these chairs, made these friends.... View Details
  • 24 Oct 2012
  • Research & Ideas

Want People to Save More? Send a Text

a special purpose," Pomeranz says. Most also didn't understand the increase in the interest rate, despite the bank's explicit explanation of the benefits. “Any area of regular activity for which people tend to procrastinate is where... View Details
Keywords: by Kim Girard
  • 22 Jan 2018
  • News

The First Five Years: ‘30 Under 30’ Edition

In this special “First Five Years” post, three alumni recently named to the Forbes 2018 “30 Under 30” list—Jeet Guram (MBA 2015), Meghana Dhar (MBA 2016), and Shiv Gaglani (MBA 2016)—talk careers, HBS, and why a strategy of View Details
Keywords: Ambulatory Health Care Services; Health, Social Assistance; Nonstore Retailers; Retail Trade; Educational Support Services; Educational Services
  • 30 Mar 2020
  • Research & Ideas

Readers Ask: I Need Tips for Working at Home

people to find their rhythm and settle down and the manager should also adjust their own personal timelines for when to expect stuff to get done. How can I avoid the temptation to procrastinate when I work remotely? Choudhury: We all do... View Details
Keywords: by Kristen Senz
  • 06 Dec 2004
  • What Do You Think?

Why Do Managers Fail to Act on Their Predictions?

prescriptions were few. The diagnoses ranged from "blatant procrastination and fear" (Nishant Miglani) to the triumph of "wishful thinking" (Edward Hare) to "the bias of hope over experience" and the belief... View Details
Keywords: by James Heskett
  • 01 Dec 2010
  • News

Additional alumni books for your consideration.

organized and staying focused. Among other things, he recommends beating procrastination by working on large, overwhelming projects in small, finite periods of time; reviewing technology to make sure it’s not making more work; and cutting... View Details
Keywords: Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles; Finance
  • 30 Jun 2003
  • Research & Ideas

Computer Security is For Managers, Too

And if you prosecute the intruder, you'll have digital forensics to establish a chain of evidence. You should also ensure that you have a process that allows your IT people to make changes quickly. Procrastinating on updating patches... View Details
Keywords: by Robert D. Austin & Christopher A.R. Darby