Structure— The Unwanted Ally: Perceptions and Preferences For Structured Vs. Unstructured Tasks

Authors:

Abstract: Extant research demonstrates that task structure —defined as explicit and predetermined rules imposed to guide behavior— can elevate and improve performance. However, we know little about how people perceive these structured tasks. This research investigates whether people perceive a tradeoff between utilitarian (i.e., effectiveness, efficiency) and hedonic (i.e., enjoyment, excitement) value in structured vs. unstructured tasks and how these perceptions influence task preferences. Across three preregistered studies, we demonstrate robust evidence that people perceive unstructured tasks as having greater hedonic value than structured tasks while providing slightly weaker evidence that people perceive structured tasks as having greater utilitarian value than unstructured tasks. Furthermore, we show that perceiving unstructured tasks as more enjoyable and exciting informs a more general preference for unstructured tasks. This has important implications for the field of management; avoiding structured tasks because we perceive them as less enjoyable may mean losing out on structure’s benefits.

Track: DEC

Keywords: structure, perceptions, preferences, tasks, decision-making, experiments