Group Decision Making in a Corruption Experiment: China and Germany Compared

Björn Frank, Li Sha (), Bühren Christoph () and Qin Haiying ()
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Li Sha: University of Kassel, IVWL, Nora-Platiel-Straße 4, 34127 Kassel, Germany
Bühren Christoph: University of Kassel, IVWL, Nora-Platiel-Straße 4, 34127 Kassel, Germany
Qin Haiying: Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, China 300071

Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), 2015, vol. 235, issue 2, 207-227

Abstract: Much hope is put into the ‘‘four eyes principle’’ as an anti corruption device in many countries. However, as recent cases have shown, entire groups of decision makers can be corrupt as well. This paper reports on an experimental investigation of individual versus group decision making in a corruption experiment.We find that the group decisions, as compared to individual decisions, lead to a higher level of corruption, for bribers and for bribees, and in China as well as in Germany. Only German women are less corrupt in a group decision context than when deciding individually.Further differences between Germany and China with respect to the effect of the teams’ gender composition were found. In Germany, groups that consist only of females are the most honest and the male groups are the most corrupt, whereas in China the groups with mixed gender combination have shown a higher inclination to make corrupt decisions than the groups that are homogenous with respect to gender.

Keywords: China; corruption; experiment; group decisions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:235:y:2015:i:2:p:207-227

DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2015-0207

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