Arbeitspapier
Collective action when public good returns are heterogeneous
We adopt a mixed methods approach to investigate whether and how heterogeneity in individual returns to a public good affects contributions. We engage smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka in: a one-shot, framed, lab-in-the-field experiment, within which the farmers' rates of return to the public good are exogenously varied; and a survey including a question about their willingness to contribute time to the construction of a specific, relevant to them public good. In the former, we find weak evidence that heterogeneity in individual returns increases contributions. In the latter we find that those facing higher returns contribute more. We conclude that heterogeneity in returns does not explain why collective action remains a challenge in farming communities in developing countries.
- Language
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Englisch
- Bibliographic citation
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Series: CREDIT Research Paper ; No. 17/05
- Classification
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Wirtschaft
Field Experiments
Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
- Subject
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lab-type behavioural experiment
collective action
heterogeneity
public goods
- Event
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Geistige Schöpfung
- (who)
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Barr, Abigail
Owens, Trudy
Perera, Ashira
- Event
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Veröffentlichung
- (who)
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The University of Nottingham, Centre for Research in Economic Development and International Trade (CREDIT)
- (where)
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Nottingham
- (when)
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2017
- Handle
- Last update
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10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET
Data provider
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.
Object type
- Arbeitspapier
Associated
- Barr, Abigail
- Owens, Trudy
- Perera, Ashira
- The University of Nottingham, Centre for Research in Economic Development and International Trade (CREDIT)
Time of origin
- 2017