Everyone is a Winner: Promoting Cooperation through Non-Rival Intergroup Competition

24 Pages Posted: 7 Nov 2008

See all articles by Ernesto Reuben

Ernesto Reuben

New York University (NYU) - New York University, Abu Dhabi; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Jean-Robert Tyran

University of Vienna; University of Copenhagen - Department of Economics; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: August 1, 2008

Abstract

In this paper, we study the effectiveness of intergroup competition in promoting cooperative behavior. We focus on intergroup competition that is non-rival in the sense that everyone can be a winner. This type of competition does not give groups an incentive to outcompete others. However, in spite of this fact, we find that intergroup competition produces a universal increase in cooperation. Furthermore, in settings where there are strong incentives to compete, intergroup competition benefits a majority of individuals.

Keywords: intergroup competition, cooperation, public goods, experiment

JEL Classification: H41, M52, C92

Suggested Citation

Reuben, Ernesto and Tyran, Jean-Robert, Everyone is a Winner: Promoting Cooperation through Non-Rival Intergroup Competition (August 1, 2008). Univ. of Copenhagen Dept. of Economics Discussion Paper No. 08-26, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1296454 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1296454

Ernesto Reuben (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - New York University, Abu Dhabi ( email )

PO Box 129188
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Jean-Robert Tyran

University of Vienna ( email )

Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1
Vienna, Vienna 1090
Austria

HOME PAGE: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/jean-robert.tyran/

University of Copenhagen - Department of Economics ( email )

Øster Farimagsgade 5
Bygning 26
1353 Copenhagen K.
Denmark
+45 353 23 027 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.econ.ku.dk/tyran/

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
93
Abstract Views
1,672
Rank
502,806
PlumX Metrics