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Harnessing the Power of Social Incentives to Curb Shirking in Teams

Author

Listed:
  • Brice Corgnet

    (Emlyon Business School and Economic Science Institute, Chapman University)

  • Brian C. Gunia

    (Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University)

  • Roberto Hernán González

    (Burgundy School of Business, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté and Economic Science Institute, Chapman University)

Abstract

We study several solutions to shirking in teams that trigger social incentives by reshaping the workplace social context. Using an experimental design, we manipulate social pressure at work by varying the type of workplace monitoring and the extent to which employees engage in social interaction. This design allows us to assess the effectiveness as well as the popularity of each solution. Despite similar effectiveness in boosting productivity across solutions, only organizational systems involving social interaction (via chat) were at least as popular as a baseline treatment. This suggests that any solution based on promoting social interaction is more likely to be embraced by workers than monitoring systems alone.

Suggested Citation

  • Brice Corgnet & Brian C. Gunia & Roberto Hernán González, 2020. "Harnessing the Power of Social Incentives to Curb Shirking in Teams," Working Papers 20-05, Chapman University, Economic Science Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:chu:wpaper:20-05
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    File URL: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/esi_working_papers/298/
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    Cited by:

    1. Brandts, Jordi & Corgnet, Brice & Hernán-González, Roberto & Ortiz, José Mª & Solà, Carles, 2021. "Watching or not watching? Access to information and the incentive effects of firing threats," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 672-685.
    2. Josse Delfgaauw & Robert Dur & Oke Onemu & Joeri Sol, 2022. "Team Incentives, Social Cohesion, and Performance: A Natural Field Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(1), pages 230-256, January.
    3. Goette, Lorenz & Senn, Julien, 2024. "Incentivizing interdependent tasks: Evidence from a real-effort experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    4. Zou, Wenbo & Gao, Wenzheng, 2023. "Measuring the welfare and spillover effects of rank information," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 187-220.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • M5 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics

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