The Escalation of Commitment To a Course of Action
- 1 October 1981
- journal article
- Published by Academy of Management in Academy of Management Review
- Vol. 6 (4) , 577-587
- https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1981.4285694
Abstract
There are many instances in which individuals can become locked into a costly course of action. Because it is often possible for persons who have suffered a setback to recoup their losses through an even greater commitment of resources to the same course of action, a cycle of escalating commitment can be produced. In this paper, I review recent research on the escalation of commitment and try to integrate its complex and often conflicting determinants.Keywords
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