The Downside of Delegation: Interpersonal Consequences of Decision Support Requests

People seeking help with their decisions may elicit it in one of two ways: they may ask for advice, retaining decision responsibility, or delegate the decision, transferring it. We consider interpersonal reactions to these decision support strategies, which have largely been considered independently. Whereas management research has emphasized the positive effects of decision transfer, decision-making work suggests support providers may resent choice responsibility. Across six experiments, we find that those who provide decision support interpersonally penalize those who seek it through delegation versus advice seeking, judging delegators as more manipulative, and choosing not to work with them or provide future decision support. This effect is mediated by perceptions that the support requester is shirking their responsibilities. Moreover, requesters do not anticipate these consequences. By focusing on interpersonal rather than informational, accuracy-centered, or effort-based outcomes, this work advances a more holistic view of the tradeoffs facing those seeking decision support.