Do Advisors’ Status and Identity Shape Adherence to Advice?

Lata Gangadharan (), Pushkar Maitra (), Joseph Vecci (), Prakashan Chellattan Veettil () and Marie Claire Villeval ()
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Lata Gangadharan: Monash University
Pushkar Maitra: Monash University
Joseph Vecci: University of Gothenburg
Marie Claire Villeval: CNRS

No 18280, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This study examines whether adherence to advice depends on an advisor’s identity and status beyond message content. Using a survey experiment with over 3000 farmers in India, we find that individuals are more likely to follow advice in a social dilemma game when it comes from high-status or in-group advisors, even when the advice diverges from prevailing norms. Admired role models can attenuate the influence of status and identity, though their beneficial effect is not universal. Our experimental findings align with evidence from an agricultural advisory program involving the same participant sample, highlighting the broader real-world relevance of these patterns.

Keywords: group identity; status; social learning; advice; survey experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D83 D91 O13 Q16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe and nep-exp
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