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Leadership effectiveness and institutional frames

Author

Listed:
  • Gerrit Frackenpohl

    (University of Bonn)

  • Adrian Hillenbrand

    (University of Bonn
    Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods)

  • Sebastian Kube

    (University of Bonn)

Abstract

Leadership mechanisms provide a potential means to mitigate social dilemmas, but empirical evidence on the success of such mechanisms is mixed. In this paper, we explore the institutional frame as a relevant factor for the effectiveness of leadership. We compare subjects’ behavior in public-goods experiments that are either framed positively (give-some game) or negatively (take-some game). We observe that leader and follower decisions are sensitive to the institutional frame. Leaders contribute less in the take-some game, and the correlation between leaders’ and followers’ contribution is weaker in the take-some game. Additionally, using a strategy method to elicit followers’ reactions at the individual level, we find evidence for the malleability of followers’ revealed cooperation types. Taken together, the leadership institution is found to be less efficient in the take- than in the give-frame, both in games that are played only once and repeatedly.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerrit Frackenpohl & Adrian Hillenbrand & Sebastian Kube, 2016. "Leadership effectiveness and institutional frames," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 19(4), pages 842-863, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:expeco:v:19:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s10683-015-9470-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10683-015-9470-z
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    4. Billinger, Stephan & Rosenbaum, Stephen Mark, 2023. "On the limits of hierarchy in public goods games: A survey and meta-analysis on the effects of design variables on cooperation," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    5. Gächter, Simon & Kölle, Felix & Quercia, Simone, 2022. "Preferences and perceptions in Provision and Maintenance public goods," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 338-355.
    6. Fatma Sonmez Cakir & Zafer Adiguzel, 2020. "Analysis of Leader Effectiveness in Organization and Knowledge Sharing Behavior on Employees and Organization," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440209, March.
    7. Vaz, João & Shogren, Jason, 2023. "Cooperation under oath: A case for context-dependent preferences," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    8. Billinger, Stephan & Rosenbaum, Stephen Mark, 2019. "Discretionary mechanisms and cooperation in hierarchies: An experimental study," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Leadership; Framing; Social dilemma; Public goods; Laboratory experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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