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Strategic Management Journal
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY NC ND
Data sources: Crossref
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A tale of two biases: Unpacking the relationship of overestimation and overprecision on firm performance

Unpacking the relationship of overestimation and overprecision on firm performance
Authors: Wayne G. Borchardt; Dan P. Lovallo; Mikael Samuelsson; Ayrton da Silva;

A tale of two biases: Unpacking the relationship of overestimation and overprecision on firm performance

Abstract

Abstract Research Summary Overconfidence is widely known to influence firm decision‐making. Yet there remains confusion regarding the concept because it comprises three key aspects: overplacement, overestimation, and overprecision. Using archival data, we employ a firm‐level overconfidence construct to simultaneously analyze the impacts of both overestimation and overprecision. Based on proxies derived from management earnings guidance, overestimation has a sizeable, negative impact on firm performance that is uncorrelated with overprecision's sizeable, positive impact. The result that emerges is surprisingly large: more than one third of a firm's asset value can be explained by these combined facets of overconfidence. Managerial Summary Overconfidence is well known to executives. It mostly has a bad reputation, but the magnitude of its impact on a firm's strategic decision making is not well known. One aspect of overconfidence is overestimation, which leads to poor forecasts. This leads executives to exaggerate M&A synergies and underestimate the costs as well as the time to complete large capital projects, among other decisions. There is another facet to overconfidence: precision. Overconfidence leads to greater precision in forecasts. In this study, we use corporate earnings guidance. Overprecision in such guidance correlates positively with firm performance. We attribute this result to better investment decisions. We find the combined impact of the positive and negative aspects of overconfidence explains more than a third of a firm's asset value.

Country
Portugal
Keywords

overestimation, Strategy and Management, behavioral strategy, overprecision, overconfidence, Business and International Management, decision science, strategic decision-making

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
1
Average
Average
Average
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hybrid
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