The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior

Ritwik Banerjee, Nabanita Datta Gupta and Marie Claire Villeval

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Abstract: We conduct an artefactual field experiment to examine various spillover effects of Affirmative Action policies in the context of castes in India. We test a) if individuals who enter tournaments in the presence of an Affirmative Action policy remain competitive after the policy has been removed, and b) whether having been exposed to the policy generates unethical behavior and spite against subjects from the category who has benefited from the policy. We find that this policy substantially increases the beliefs on being a winner and the competitiveness of the backward caste members. However, we find no spillover effect on confidence and competitiveness once Affirmative Action is withdrawn. Furthermore, the discrimination by the dominant category against the backward category is not significantly aggravated by Affirmative Action, except when individuals learn that they have lost the previous competition.

Keywords: Affirmative Action; castes; competitiveness; unethical behavior; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01658042v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

Published in European Economic Review, 2018, 101, pp. 567-604. ⟨10.1016/j.euroecorev.2017.10.022⟩

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Related works:
Journal Article: The spillover effects of affirmative action on competitiveness and unethical behavior (2018)
Working Paper: The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior (2017)
Working Paper: The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior (2017)
Working Paper: The spillover effects of Affirmative Action on competitiveness and unethical behavior (2017)
Working Paper: The spillover effects of Affirmative Action on competitiveness and unethical behavior (2017)
Working Paper: The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior (2017)
Working Paper: The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior (2016)
Working Paper: The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior (2016)
Working Paper: The Spillover Effects of Affirmative Action on Competitiveness and Unethical Behavior (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01658042

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2017.10.022

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