Why volunteer? Evidence on the role of altruism, image, and incentives
نویسندگان
چکیده
We examine motivations for prosocial behavior using new data on volunteer firefighters that contain a dictator-game based measure of altruism, surveyed measures of other behavioral factors, and call records that provide an objective measure of time spent volunteering. Controlling for a variety of other explanations, we find that the decision to volunteer is positively correlated with altruism as well as with concern for social reputation or “image.” Moreover, by utilizing variation in the presence and level of small stipends paid to the firefighters, we find that the positive effect of monetary incentives declines with image concerns, supporting a prediction that extrinsic incentives can crowd out image motivation for prosocial behavior. JEL Classification: C93, D12, J22, D64, D82
منابع مشابه
Why Volunteer? Evidence on the Role of Altruism, Reputation, and Incentives
Why Volunteer? Evidence on the Role of Altruism, Reputation, and Incentives Volunteering plays a prominent role in the charitable provision of goods and services, yet we know relatively little about why people engage in such prosocial acts. The list of possible motivations is long, but recent research has focused on altruism, reputational concerns, and material incentives. We present an analysi...
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