Social Norms and Commitments in Cooperatives – Experimental Evidence

Abraham M, Lorek K, Prosch B (2020)

Publication Type: Book chapter / Article in edited volumes

Publication year: 2020

Publisher: De Gruyter

Edited Volumes: Advances in the sociology of trust and cooperation: theory, experiments, and field studies

City/Town: Berlin

Pages Range: 319-334

ISBN: 9783110647495

DOI: 10.1515/9783110647495-014

Abstract

Cooperatives, which are characterized by pooling of jointly owned and controlled resources in an enterprise by individual actors, are popular and widespread in modern societies. However, since each actor has an incentive to withhold resources individually while benefiting from the common pool, opportunistic behavior may result. One possibility to overcome this dilemma situation are internalized, normative beliefs which foster cooperative behavior. By experimentally modeling dilemma situations, we examine whether normative values work as behavioral reference points for members of cooperatives and whether this enhances cooperation. Our results from two lab experiments demonstrate that a cooperative framework, which we use as an indicator for normative beliefs, produces significantly higher cooperation rates in social dilemma situations. Furthermore, we see that an institution framed as a cooperative is chosen by a substantial share of persons, even if this institution produces inefficient results. Consequently, we conclude that general norms contribute to the cooperative effect of cooperatives.

Authors with CRIS profile

Martin Abraham Lehrstuhl für Soziologie und Empirische Sozialforschung (Schwerpunkt Arbeitsmarktsoziologie) Kerstin Lorek Lehrstuhl für Soziologie und Empirische Sozialforschung (Schwerpunkt Arbeitsmarktsoziologie)

How to cite

APA:

Abraham, M., Lorek, K., & Prosch, B. (2020). Social Norms and Commitments in Cooperatives – Experimental Evidence. In Buskens, V., Corten, R., & Snijders, C. (Eds.), Advances in the sociology of trust and cooperation: theory, experiments, and field studies. (pp. 319-334). Berlin: De Gruyter.

MLA:

Abraham, Martin, Kerstin Lorek, and Bernhard Prosch. "Social Norms and Commitments in Cooperatives – Experimental Evidence." Advances in the sociology of trust and cooperation: theory, experiments, and field studies. Ed. Buskens, V., Corten, R., & Snijders, C., Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020. 319-334.

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