When less is more: Exploring the relation between delay discounting rates in a personal and organizational context

Many work-related decisions involve choosing between alternatives that differ in value (e.g., $100 or $1,000) and temporal availability (e.g., now or four years). Prior studies suggest workers prefer immediate outcomes due to organizational resource uncertainty. However, it remains unclear whether this preference stems solely from the organizational environment or is influenced by a worker's reinforcement history. This study examined differences in monetary discounting across delays in two contexts: organizational (money allocated to work-related activities) and personal (money spent freely). Conducted in a private security corporation, participants completed two discounting tasks, each testing two amounts across seven delays. Results showed participants systematically favored immediate outcomes in the organizational context. Smaller amounts were discounted more, regardless of context, and personal discounting patterns predicted organizational decisions. Job experience was unrelated to discounting. Findings suggest immediate preferences at work may result from both organizational uncertainty and reinforcement history shaping decision-making.