Michael Scott comes up with a promotional "golden ticket" idea for Dunder Mifflin that goes wrong when their largest client receives all 5 tickets. When things start to go poorly, Michael exhibits self-serving bias by denying the idea was his and trying to blame others like Dwight. Dwight reluctantly takes the blame until the CFO reveals the client was actually pleased with the deal. Michael then tries to take credit for the idea again.

1. Self-Serving Bias
at Dunder
Mifflin

2. Attribution
Theory
• When successful
one attributes to
personal
characteristics/
skills.
• When one fails
they attribute to
external events.

3. Media

4. Dwight
is a very hard working
paper salesman and
completely loyal to
Michael Scott.
Michael
Scott
Is a very eccentric
individual with a unique
managing style that not
everyone agrees with. Will
do almost anything to be
liked.
Jim
Spends half of his time at the
receptionists desk and the other
half pranking Dwight.
Pam
The receptionist and often has to talk
Michael down from his crazy ideas.

5. • Michael Scott, a regional manager at a mid-
sized paper supply company, impersonates
Willy Wonka and comes up with the “Willy
Wonka’s golden ticket promotional idea”
• Michael has mentioned plenty of times of
how he had come up with the golden ticket
ideas. In a conference with his staff he says, “I’ve
done my part with the golden ticket idea.”
• This promotion includes 5 golden sheets of
paper that entitles clients to 10% off their order.
• Jim, the office prankster, gets a call from their
largest client stating that they had found all 5
tickets. The tickets don’t state “Limit one per
customer”

6. As tensions start to rise, Michael
abandons his idea.
With pressure from the CFO Michael
starts looking to Dwight to take the
fall for him.
The CFO makes an unexpected trip
to the branch and Dwight reluctantly
takes the blame for the idea.
The CFO informs them it was, in fact,
a good idea.
Dwight joins the CFO and the
marketing Dept. on a phone
conference. Michael barges in to tell
the CFO it was his idea. The CFO
leaves the branch very confused.

7. CONNECTION

8. MICHAEL WONT STOP TAKING
ABOUT HOW GOOD HIS IDEA
IS IN THE BEGINNING. “IT’S
THE BEST IDEA I’VE EVER HAD”
When Michael finds out their
biggest client received all 5 tickets
he knows he messed up and starts
to blame others. “My golden ticket
idea? Ok, why would anyone think it
was my golden ticket idea? There’s a
1 in 13 chance that this could be
anyone’s golden ticket idea.”

9. David Wallace, the CFO, comes in and
tells Michael and Dwight, “ they were
so excited about the deal that they
had made Dunder Mifflin their
exclusive provider of office supplies.”
after Michael pressured Dwight into
taking blame for the idea.
During a phone conference
with the marketing dept.
Michael storms in to declare
that the idea was his

10. My Take
• I think the producers of this show really nailed the Self-Serving
Bias whether they were trying to or not, they did a great job.
This was one of many times Michael had messed up a situation
and called on Dwight to fix it for him.
• Overall a very good job at merging psychology with a T.V.
show.

11. References
• Google
• I used the images from
googling “the office
golden ticket idea”