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The role of social information, market framing, and diffusion of responsibility as determinants of socially responsible behavior

Author

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  • Irlenbusch, Bernd
  • Saxler, David J.

Abstract

A recent debate raises questions on what shapes socially responsible behavior. In an experiment, we disentangle major determinants, social information, buyer/seller framing and diffusion of responsibility, and provide evidence on how they influence decisions when decision-makers can gain money by harming uninvolved parties. Our results show that buyer/seller framing tends to encourage subjects to make purely self-interested decisions. In contrast, social information about others who behaved socially responsible increases social responsibility. When comparing individual decisions with joint decisions, we observe no effect of diffusion of responsibility on socially responsible behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Irlenbusch, Bernd & Saxler, David J., 2019. "The role of social information, market framing, and diffusion of responsibility as determinants of socially responsible behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 141-161.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:80:y:2019:i:c:p:141-161
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2019.04.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Riehm, Tobias & Fugger, Nicolas & Gillen, Philippe & Gretschko, Vitali & Werner, Peter, 2022. "Social norms, sanctions, and conditional entry in markets with externalities: Evidence from an artefactual field experiment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    2. Drouvelis, Michalis & Gomez-Martinez, Francisco, 2023. "The impact of group identity on experimental markets with externalities," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    3. Vecchi, Martina, 2022. "Groups and socially responsible production: An experiment with farmers," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 372-392.
    4. Manuela Ingaldi & Dorota Klimecka-Tatar, 2020. "People’s Attitude to Energy from Hydrogen—From the Point of View of Modern Energy Technologies and Social Responsibility," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Bartling, Björn & Özdemir, Yagiz, 2023. "The limits to moral erosion in markets: Social norms and the replacement excuse," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 143-160.
    6. Nigus, Halefom Yigzaw & Nillesen, Eleonora & Mohnen, Pierre & Di Falco, Salvatore, 2023. "Markets and socially responsible behavior: do punishment and religion matter?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 572-593.
    7. Bartling, Björn & Fehr, Ernst & Özdemir, Yagiz, 2023. "Does Market Interaction Erode Moral Values?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 105(1), pages 226-235.
    8. Brütt, Katharina & Schram, Arthur & Sonnemans, Joep, 2020. "Endogenous group formation and responsibility diffusion: An experimental study," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 1-31.
    9. Greiff, Matthias & Rusch, Hannes, 2022. "Sharing responsibility for the good," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    10. Danz, David & Engelmann, Dirk & Kübler, Dorothea, 2022. "Do legal standards affect ethical concerns of consumers?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    11. Riehm, Tobias & Fugger, Nicolas & Gillen, Philippe & Gretschko, Vitali & Werner, Peter, 2021. "Social norms and market behavior: Evidence from a large population sample," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-017, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    12. Björn Bartling & Vanessa Valero & Roberto A. Weber & Lan Yao, 2020. "Public discourse and socially responsible market behavior," ECON - Working Papers 359, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Jul 2023.
    13. Feess, Eberhard & Kerzenmacher, Florian & Timofeyev, Yuriy, 2022. "Utilitarian or deontological models of moral behavior—What predicts morally questionable decisions?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    14. Stehr, Frauke & Werner, Peter, 2021. "Making Up for Harming Others — An Experiment on Voluntary Compensation Behavior," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242396, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Eberhard Feess & Florian Kerzenmacher & Gerd Muehlheusser, 2020. "Moral Transgressions by Groups: What Drives Individual Voting Behavior?," CESifo Working Paper Series 8384, CESifo.
    16. Andreas Ziegler & Giorgia Romagnoli & Theo Offerman, 2020. "Morals in multi-unit markets," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-072/I, Tinbergen Institute, revised 10 Feb 2021.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social responsibility; Social information; Buyer/seller framing; Diffusion of responsibility; Experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design

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