Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/306551 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 359
Version Description: 
Revised version, August 2024
Publisher: 
University of Zurich, Department of Economics, Zurich
Abstract: 
We investigate the causal impact of public discourse on socially responsible market behavior. Across three laboratory experiments, having market participants engage in public discourse generally increases market social responsibility. These positive impacts are robust to variation in several characteristics of the discourse. We provide evidence that discourse strengthens beliefs that others support socially responsible exchange. However, relaxing requirements to engage in discourse sharply reduces its effectiveness. Our findings suggest that campaigns encouraging discussion of appropriate market behavior can have sizable impacts on addressing inefficiencies due to market failures, but that policies encouraging broad public engagement may be important.
Subjects: 
Public discourse
market failure
externalities
social responsibility
experiment
communication
JEL: 
C92
D62
D83
M14
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.