Exploring the Influence of Failure Aversion on Learning From Project Failure: A Sensemaking Perspective

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Project failure is often viewed negatively, yet offers learning opportunities.
• Limited research exists on individual attitudes towards failure and their impact on learning.
• Sensemaking theory provides a framework for understanding failure aversion's influence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of failure aversion on learning from project failure.
• To explore the mediating roles of arguing, expectation, loss-focused coping, and perceived loss of self-esteem.
• To examine the moderating effect of learning goal orientation (LGO).

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 774 R&D employees in China.
• Statistical analysis to test mediation and moderation hypotheses.
• Sensemaking theory guided the conceptual framework.

Main Results:

• Failure aversion positively influenced learning via loss-focused coping.
• Failure aversion negatively impacted learning by increasing perceived loss of self-esteem.
• Learning goal orientation (LGO) mitigated the negative effect of self-esteem loss on learning.

Conclusions:

• Failure aversion has a dual impact on learning from project failure.
• Cognitive mechanisms, including coping and self-esteem, are crucial in failure learning.
• LGO plays a role in buffering negative psychological impacts of failure.