Does team competition increase pro-social lending?: evidence from online microfinance

Arbeitspapier | Working paper

We investigate the effects of team competition on pro-social lending activity on Kiva.org, the first microlending website to match lenders with entrepreneurs in developing countries. Using naturally occurring field data, we find that lenders who join teams contribute 1.2 more loans ($30-$42) per month than those who do not. To further explore factors that differentiate successful teams from dormant ones, we run a large-scale randomized field experiment (n = 22, 233) by posting forum messages. Compared to the control, we find that lenders make significantly more loans when exposed to a goal-setting and coordination message, whereas goal-setting alone significantly increases lending activities of previously inactive teams. Our findings suggest that goal-setting and coordination are effective mechanisms to increase pro-social behavior in teams. (author's abstract)

Object Details

• Extent: Seite(n): 45
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Discussion Papers / Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, Forschungsschwerpunkt Markt und Entscheidung, Abteilung Verhalten auf Märkten (SP II 2014-209)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Wirtschaft ; Psychologie ; Wirtschaftspolitik ; Sozialpsychologie ; Feldforschung ; Identität ; kulturelle Identität ; Kredit ; Mikrofinanzierung ; Team ; Wettbewerb ; prosoziales Verhalten

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Chen, Roy ; Chen, Yan ; Liu, Yang ; Mei, Qiaozhu
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH
• (where): Deutschland, Berlin
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/103213
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST