In organizational decision making, spillover effects are defined as which of the following?

• A. Indirect or unintended consequences of an action
• B. The financial cost of a hiring process
• C. The immediate feedback from a candidate
• D. The direct result of a decision

Answer: (A)

Spillover effects are about the indirect or unintended consequences that flow from a decision, reaching parts of the organization or beyond what was originally targeted. In organizational decisions, actions rarely have only the intended outcome; they create side effects like changes in morale, collaboration, customer relations, or long-term productivity. That broader, unintended impact is what spillover describes, making this option the best fit. The other choices point to direct costs, immediate feedback, or the direct result of a decision—things that are explicit and central rather than indirect side effects.