Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/279569 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
WZB Discussion Paper No. SP II 2023-206
Publisher: 
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB), Berlin
Abstract: 
Teamwork has become increasingly important in modern organizations and the labor market. Yet little is known about the role of self-confidence in teamwork. In this paper, we present evidence from a laboratory experiment using a team effort task. Effort and ability are complements and there are synergies between teammates' efforts. We exogenously manipulate subjects' self-confidence in their ability using easy and hard general knowledge quizzes. We find that overconfidence leads to more effort, less free riding, and higher team revenue. These findings suggest that organizations could improve team performance by hiring overconfident workers.
Subjects: 
Teamwork
Self-Confidence
Effort
Free Riding
JEL: 
C71
C92
D91
D83
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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