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Public Discourse and Socially Responsible Market Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Björn Bartling
  • Vanessa Valero
  • Roberto A. Weber
  • Lan Yao

Abstract

We investigate the causal impact of public discourse on socially responsible market behavior. Across three laboratory experiments, having market participants engage in public discourse generally increases market social responsibility. These positive impacts are robust to variation in several characteristics of the discourse. We provide evidence that discourse strengthens beliefs that others support socially responsible exchange. However, relaxing requirements to engage in discourse sharply reduces its effectiveness. Our findings suggest that campaigns encouraging discussion of appropriate market behavior can have sizable impacts on addressing inefficiencies due to market failures but that policies encouraging broad public engagement may be important.

Suggested Citation

  • Björn Bartling & Vanessa Valero & Roberto A. Weber & Lan Yao, 2024. "Public Discourse and Socially Responsible Market Behavior," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(10), pages 3041-3074, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:114:y:2024:i:10:p:3041-74
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20201361
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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. Pol Campos-Mercade & Claes Ek & Magnus Soederberg & Florian H. Schneider, 2025. "Social Preferences and Environmental Externalities," CEBI working paper series 25-06, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    3. Roland Bénabou & Armin Falk & Luca Henkel & Jean Tirole, 2020. "Eliciting Moral Preferences: Theory and Experiment," Working Papers 2020-17, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    4. Florian Rösler & Judith Kreyenschmidt & Guido Ritter, 2025. "Discussing Food Waste Online: Current Trends in the Food Processing Industry and Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-44, January.
    5. Hauge, Karen E. & Kverndokk, Snorre & Lange, Andreas, 2024. "Opposition to markets: Experimental evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    6. Fabian Bopp & Wendelin Schnedler, 2023. "Does room for reflection reduce ignorance and increase pro-social behavior? An experimental study," Working Papers Dissertations 109, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    7. Mathias Dewatripont & Jean Tirole, 2022. "The Morality of Markets," Working Papers ECARES 2022-35, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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