title: Understanding behavior in escalation situations.
abstract: Everyday observation reveals that both individuals and organizations often become overly committed to losing courses of action; in a sense, throwing good money after bad. More than 10 years of research on this escalation problem shows that persistence is associated with at least four major clases of determinants: project, psychological, social, and organizational variables. The influence of these four sets of variables evolves over time, forming a dynamic model of behavior in escalation situations.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Staw
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ross