*Nikhil Ruben Prasad, & **Suchithra Devi, S.
*Doctoral Researcher, Department of Economics, SN College, Varkala, University of Kerala, India.
**Associate Professor and HOD, Department of Economics, SN College, Chempazhanthy, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Abstract
Nudge theory posits that subtle alterations in choice architecture can predictably guide behaviour without restricting options or changing economic incentives (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). This integrative review synthesises three complementary empirical studies to demonstrate how digital and behavioural nudges enhance organisational resilience across global virtual teams, managerial decision-making under risk and uncertainty, and large-scale project performance. Seeber et al. (2024) found that in 96 culturally diverse GVTs (N=235), both weekly digital reminder nudges (DRN) and team-based interventions (TBI) significantly boosted psychological safety, with TBI fully mediated by improved coordination quality and DRN exerting a direct effect. Renz et al. (2023), in a 3×2 experiment with 298 U.S. managers, showed that a simple pro-neutrality recommendation nudge delivered before or after initial decisions reliably reduced risk and uncertainty aversion by counteracting loss aversion, status-quo bias, and blame avoidance. Bukoye et al. (2022), drawing on interviews with project professionals, identified 21 nudge tools (defaults, feedback loops, social norms, framing, etc.) that help mitigate planning fallacy, decision paralysis, and coordination failures, thereby improving iron-triangle outcomes of time, cost, and quality. Collectively, these studies highlight three shared mechanisms salience, simplification, and social proof that operate through enhanced coordination, bias reduction, and behavioural alignment to deliver higher psychological safety, decision neutrality, and project performance. The paper advances an integrative framework that repositions nudges as scalable behavioural infrastructure, offering theoretical refinement and practical, low-cost toolkits for organisational leaders and project managers, while outlining directions for future multi-level, longitudinal, and AI-augmented research.
Keywords
nudges, digital reminder nudges, psychological safety, risk, uncertainty neutrality, project performance management, iron triangle, global virtual teams, and behavioural interventions.
