Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/224201 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 359
Publisher: 
University of Zurich, Department of Economics, Zurich
Abstract: 
We investigate the causal impact of public discourse on socially responsible market behavior. We conduct laboratory market experiments with products that differ in their production costs and social impact, and provide market actors and impacted third parties with the opportunity to discuss appropriate market behavior. Across two studies that vary characteristics of the discourse, the external impact and the participants, we find that public discourse substantially increases market social responsibility. Our findings suggest that discussions and campaigns focusing on appropriate market behavior can be powerful tools for shaping responsible norms governing market conduct and addressing inefficiencies due to market failures.
Subjects: 
public discourse
market failure
externalities
social responsibility
social norms
experiment
communication
JEL: 
C92
D62
D83
M14
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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