1,721,043 research outputs found
Competition and its effects on cooperation - An experimental test
Full text linkThis paper inquires experimentally whether competition has any impact on the individual disposition to
contribute voluntarily to the provision of a public good. Participants perform a task and are remunerated
according to two schemes, a non-competitive and a competitive one, then they play a standard public goods
game. In the first scheme participants earn a flat remuneration, in the latter they are ranked according to their
performance and remunerated consequently. Information about ranking and income before the game is played
vary across three different treatments from no information, to information only about income, to full information
about ranking and income. We find that competition per se does not affect the amount of contribution, and that
there is a clear and strong negative income effect. Also, and in line with other studies, it emerges that the time
spent to choose how much to contribute is negatively correlated with the decision of cooperating fully,
suggesting that cooperation is more instinctive than non-cooperation. However, the main result is that
information plays a crucial role: full information about the relative performance in the competitive environment
enhances the cooperation, while partial information reduces it. This result is robust and the effects are large. We
suggest a couple of tentative explanations, but further research is required
An Experimental Inquiry into the Nature of Relational Goods and their Impact on Co-operation
Full text linkOur experiment studies the impact of two types of relational goods on the
voluntary contributions for the production of a public good, i.e. acquaintance among
the contributors and performance of a team work before the experiment. Our results
show that: (1) both team work and previous acquaintance increase the average contribution
to the public good, and (2) there is a relevant gender effect with women contributing
more or less than men, depending on the treatment. Therefore, we conclude
that both relational goods are important to enhance co-operation, that acquaintance
and working together are rather complements than substitutes, and that different relational
goods produce different effects on cooperation. Also, we find further evidence
for women’s behaviour to be more context-specific than men’s
From transactions to cooperation: Developing supply chain of ancient grains between relationships and joint interests
Full text linkPurpose: This paper aims to understand whether the supply chain of ancient grains, einkorn in particular, may activate the virtuous mechanisms that enable pursuing a new equilibrium based on relationships and joint interests. Methodology: This study adopts the single case study as methodological approach. More precisely, it focuses on the supply chain of ancient grains in Piedmont (Italy) of which examines in detail Mulino Marino. Interviews to the management of this single player and to some farmers’ local associations were carried out. Findings: The einkorn supply chain in Piedmont Region is an interesting case of short, local and direct supply chain because it aims at delivering a product that is more sustainable in terms of production, nutritional values and properties. In addition, this study confirms previous studies according which for an effective supply chain management it important to implement the following conditions: a) the right equilibrium among supply chain players’ physiologically conflicting interests, b) players’ integration, and c) transparent information among all the supply chain stakeholders, including final consumers. Practical implications: The study offers implications for food managers involved in the (short) supply chain management. Originality/value: Elements of originality can be identified in this research to the extension of studies on supply chain management in the ancient grains industry
Free to die: Economic freedoms and influenza mortality
Full text link: Seasonal influenzas are annually responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, often because of insufficient care, which may depend on orientations of economic policy. Yet, the empirical evidence on the relations existing between policies based on different degrees of economic liberalism and flu mortality is still scarce. This paper contributes to filling the gap by proposing an empirical investigation into the effects of various dimensions of liberalism, proxied by the different components of the Fraser Index of Economic Freedom, on deaths from seasonal influenzas in a sample of 38 OECD countries observed from 1970 to 2018. A dynamic panel System-GMM estimator is used to alleviate endogeneity concerns, while alternative models, specifications and subsamples check the robustness of findings. Findings show that: a) not every component of economic freedom has an effect on flu mortality; b) more economic freedom not always means less or more deaths from flu. In particular, stronger protection of property rights and smaller government consumption are associated with higher flu mortality, which is instead lower when people and capital are freer to move. Such results give rise to policy considerations and contribute to inform policymakers about actions that can limit the mortality of a globally widespread disease like flu
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