RESEARCH_FILE
Francis J. Flynn
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Known for:Research on favor exchange, help seeking, and the mismatch between how askers and helpers experience requests
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“I can't ask for my money back”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Asking for my money back is a normal request, not a character test.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Write the amount owed on a sticky note or note card, add the date you lent it, and place it in your wallet or on your desk for the rest of today without showing anyone.
Key findings
- 2003
Among 161 employees of a large firm, being seen as generous raised a person's social status, but keeping favor exchange roughly balanced was what predicted their productivity — generosity and self-protection are separate levers, not opposites. How Much Should I Give and How Often? The Effects of Generosity and Frequency of Favor Exchange on Social Status and Productivity ↗
- 2008
With Lake (Bohns), showed that people asking for help systematically underestimate how likely others are to say yes — the asker's model of the interaction omits the social pressure the request itself creates. If you need help, just ask: Underestimating compliance with direct requests for help ↗