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Becoming "We" Instead of "I", Identity Management and Incentives in the Workplace

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  • Donze, Jocelyn
  • Gunnes, Trude

Abstract

This paper studies how a firm fosters formal and informal interactions among its employees to create a collective identity and positively influence effort. We develop a model where employees have both a personal and a social ideal for effort, and where the firm can make its workforce more sensitive to this social ideal by allocating part of the work time to social interactions. We show that by investing in social capital, the firm can increase the power of peer pressure, make screening among heterogeneous employees less costly and, finally, augment the effectiveness of monetary incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Donze, Jocelyn & Gunnes, Trude, 2013. "Becoming "We" Instead of "I", Identity Management and Incentives in the Workplace," MPRA Paper 44769, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:44769
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    Cited by:

    1. Barigozzi, Francesca & Cremer, Helmuth, 2024. "Shining with the stars: Competition, screening, and concern for coworkers' quality," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 250-283.
    2. Trude Gunnes, 2021. "Norms and financial incentives: A model of how to fund universities," Review of Economics and Institutions, Università di Perugia, vol. 12(1).
    3. Donze, Jocelyn & Simard-Casanova, Olivier, 2018. "Managing Employees 'Insides' to Remedy Agency Problems? A Model of Transformational Leadership," MPRA Paper 94459, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Argyro Avgoustaki & Almudena Cañibano, 2020. "Motivational Drivers of Extensive Work Effort: Are Long Hours Always Detrimental to Well‐being?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 355-398, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    monetary and non monetary incentives; social norms; norm regulation; identity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • M5 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics

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