Leading by Words: A Voluntary Contribution Experiment With One-Way Communication

Anastasios Koukoumelis, Maria Levati and Johannes Weisser
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Anastasios Koukoumelis: Max Planck Institute of Economics, Strategic Interaction Group, Jena
Johannes Weisser: Max Planck Institute of Economics, Strategic Interaction Group, Jena

No 2009-106, Jena Economics Research Papers from Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

Abstract: We use experimental methods to study the power of leading by words. The context is a voluntary contribution mechanism with one-way communication. One group member can send a free-form text message to his fellow players. Contrary to the commonly-accepted wisdom that the cooperation-enhancing effect of communication re quires the mutual exchange of promises, we find that the introduction of one-way communication increases contributions substantially and decreases their variation. When communication is one-shot, its effect on contribution levels persists over time. Moreover, one-way communication is effective even in the absence of strategic concerns.

Keywords: Public goods experiment; Computer-mediated communication; Cheap talk; Cooperation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C92 H41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-12-21
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp and nep-pbe
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Journal Article: Leading by words: A voluntary contribution experiment with one-way communication (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2009-106

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