Non-Monetary Feedback Induces more Cooperation: Students and Workers in a Voluntary Contribution Mechanism

Davide Dragone, Fabio Galeotti and Raimondello Orsini ()
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Raimondello Orsini: University of Bologna, Department of Economics, Strada Maggiore 45, 40125 Bologna, Italy

No 1612, Working Papers from Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon

Abstract: We conduct an artefactual field experiment to study and compare the behavior of workers and students in a linear voluntary contribution mechanism in which subjects can assign immaterial sanctions or rewards to the other group members. We find that both students and workers sanction group members who contribute less than the group average, and reward those who contribute more. In both subject samples, the use of non-monetary sanctions and rewards induces more cooperation. The magnitude of the effect, however, is heterogeneous, as feedback has more impact among students who, contrary to workers, respond positively to sanctions. Students also tend to use sanctions more than workers. We discuss the implications of these findings for social cohesion, cooperative spirit and organizational efficiency in the workplace.

Keywords: public good; field experiment; non-monetary sanctions and rewards; communication; external validity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C92 C93 H41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp and nep-soc
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ftp://ftp.gate.cnrs.fr/RePEc/2016/1612.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Non-Monetary Feedback Induces More Cooperation: Students and Workers in a Voluntary Contribution Mechanism (2017)
Working Paper: Non-Monetary Feedback Induces more Cooperation: Students and Workers in a Voluntary Contribution Mechanism (2017)
Working Paper: Non-Monetary Feedback Induces more Cooperation: Students and Workers in a Voluntary Contribution Mechanism (2016)
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