Estimating Social Preferences and Gift Exchange at Work

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2022
Volume: 112
Issue: 3
Pages: 1038-74

Authors (4)

Stefano DellaVigna (not in RePEc) John A. List (National Bureau of Economic Re...) Ulrike Malmendier (not in RePEc) Gautam Rao (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We design three field experiments to estimate how workers' social preferences toward their employer motivates their work effort. We vary the pay rates offered to workers, the return to the employer, and employer generosity demonstrated via unexpected gifts. Workers exert effort even without private incentives, but their effort is insensitive to the return to the employer. This is consistent with "warm glow" but not pure altruism. The gifts have no effect on productivity, but engender extra work. This difference is explained partly by the finding that extra work is much more responsive to incentives than is productivity.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:112:y:2022:i:3:p:1038-74
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25