 Can group rewards promote helping in asymmetrically imbalanced task relationships?Christopher Poile and Frank Safayeni Cogent Business & Management, 2017, vol. 4, issue 1, 1345674 Abstract: This paper investigated whether group-level rewards can counteract the negative effects of asymmetric task dependence. Previous research has found that asymmetry (an imbalance in task-related resources, such as work inputs, knowledge, or skills) is correlated with lower levels of helping behavior. In this study, 182 students participated in a work simulation that manipulated symmetry and reward interdependence, and measured helpful behaviors provided to the dependent. The results demonstrate that asymmetry indeed leads to selfish behavior. However, group-level rewards are an effective way to motivate resource controllers to give help to their dependents. Interestingly, group rewards motivate over and above the benefit received from the reward itself—although resource controllers could maximize their own benefit with 2 helping behaviors per round, they gave on average 3.7 to 6.4 helping behaviors per round (95% confidence interval based on 10,000 bootstrap samples). The results demonstrate that in an asymmetrically dependent relationship, group-level rewards can motivate helping behavior over and above rational self-interest. Date: 2017 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:oabmxx:v:4:y:2017:i:1:p:1345674 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2017.1345674 Access Statistics for this article Cogent Business & Management is currently edited by Len Tiu Wright and Tahir Nisar More articles in Cogent Business & Management from Taylor & Francis Journals |
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