Credit and Blame at Work

For better or for worse, the dynamics of credit and blame are at the heart of every organization and make or break every career. Unfortunately, credit and blame are rarely assigned in an objective or fair manner, and individual psychology, team dynamics, and corporate culture all influence the process by which credit and blame are allocated.

In my forthcoming book, Credit and Blame at Work, I will take a behavioral economics-like approach to the "marketplace" of credit and blame in the workplace and consider how both rational and irrational forces influence the way in which the contributions and capabilities of individuals and teams get "valued" in a marketplace that is critical to all of us yet highly inefficient.

I will argue that the dynamics of credit and blame are as much a cause of organizational behavior as they are an effect of it, and that changing how individuals, teams and organizations assign credit and blame can be a powerful, positive force for organizational evolution and change.

I look forward to exploring this topic with readers of this blog.

Do you have a story you can share about credit and blame?