This study tests the cross-cultural sensitivity of three determinants of escalation of
commitment: agency conditions, negative framing, and self-justification. A multiple-case
experiment, using a sample of 1208 managers and MBA students surveyed over several
years in nine countries investigated the moderating effects of national culture. We find that
the effect of negative framing on escalation of commitment is significant, but unaffected by
differences in national cultures. The adverse selection problem arising from agency …