Gender Differences in Motivational Crowding Out of Work Performance

Benndorf V, Rau HA, Sölch C (2019)

Publication Language: English

Publication Status: Accepted

Publication Type: Journal article

Future Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Economic Inquiry Wiley-Blackwell: No OnlineOpen

Book Volume: 57

Pages Range: 206 - 226

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12718

Abstract

This paper studies motivational crowding-out effects after financial incentives are lowered. In a real-effort setting, workers receive a piece rate before financial incentives are substituted by a one-time payment. Under the fixed payment, effort is significantly lower only when preceded by piece-rate incentives. The decrease is driven by a fraction of men who reduce their effort by 12%, whereas women constantly perform well. We find that this motivational crowding-out effect disappears when men do not have prior experience of a piece rate. In a series of control treatments, we discard all alternative explanations besides from motivational crowding out.

Authors with CRIS profile

Christian Sölch Lehrstuhl für Volkswirtschaftslehre, insbesondere Wirtschaftstheorie

Related research project(s)

Experimental studies on the impact of collective bargaining on the gender wage gap Dec. 1, 2012 - Dec. 30, 2015

Involved external institutions

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main DE Germany (DE) Georg-August-Universität Göttingen DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Benndorf, V., Rau, H.A., & Sölch, C. (2019). Gender Differences in Motivational Crowding Out of Work Performance. Economic Inquiry, 57(1), 206 - 226. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12718

MLA:

Benndorf, Volker, Holger Andreas Rau, and Christian Sölch. "Gender Differences in Motivational Crowding Out of Work Performance." Economic Inquiry 57.1 (2019): 206 - 226.

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