Compliance and the power of authority

Alexandros Karakostas and Daniel Zizzo

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2016, vol. 124, issue C, 67-80

Abstract: Compliance to authority is an integral part of how organizations operate. We use an experiment to show that compliance to a cue by an authority is a powerful motivating mechanism. We do this in an experiment where there are direct orders or indirect cues to destroy half of another participant's earnings at a cost to one's own earnings. Depending on the experimental treatment, up to around 60–70% of participants decide to comply with the orders or cues being provided.

Keywords: Compliance; Obedience; Conformism; Social pressure; Experimenter demand; Antisocial behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C91 D03 H8 M12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (32)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:124:y:2016:i:c:p:67-80

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2015.09.016

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