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No excuses for good behavior: Volunteering and the social environment

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Linardi, Sera
  • McConnell, Margaret A.

Abstract

We study the effect of the social environment on the quantity and quality of voluntary labor contributions. By extending Benabou and Tirole's (2006) image signaling framework, we derive theoretical predictions on time volunteered given (1) the availability of excuses to stop volunteering and (2) the presence of an authority figure. We test these predictions in an experiment where laboratory subjects are directly involved in a local nonprofit operation. We find that in the absence of excuses to stop volunteering, subjects volunteer longer without working less productively. This increase is partially driven by subjects' reluctance to be the first to stop volunteering. The presence of an authority figure has little impact, but the presence of peers has a positive and significant impact.

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File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047-2727(10)00085-X
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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Public Economics.

Volume (Year): 95 (2011)
Issue (Month): 5-6 (June)
Pages: 445-454

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Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:95:y:2011:i:5-6:p:445-454
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505578

Keywords: Prosocial behavior Experiments Voluntary contributions Labor Social image Organizational design;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
  • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
  • L30 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - General

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  19. Soetevent, Adriaan R., 2005. "Anonymity in giving in a natural context--a field experiment in 30 churches," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(11-12), pages 2301-2323, December.
  20. Schady, Norbert R., 2001. "Who participates : the supply of volunteer labor and the distribution of government programs in rural Peru," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2671, The World Bank.
  21. Martin, Richard & Randal, John, 2008. "How is donation behaviour affected by the donations of others?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 228-238, July.
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