TY - JOUR
T1 - Competition versus cooperation
T2 - Some experimental evidence
AU - Canegallo, Claudia
AU - Ortona, Guido
AU - Ottone, Stefania
AU - Ponzano, Ferruccio
AU - Scacciati, Francesco
PY - 2008/2
Y1 - 2008/2
N2 - We investigate the effects of competition on subjects' attitude towards cooperation. Three groups face three economic environments with different degrees of competition, from a benchmark case with no competition at all up to a perfect competition case. Subjects contribute generously to a public project in the absence of competition, whereas they contribute very little in the presence of a maximum degree of competition. A diminishing attitude towards cooperation clearly emerges as the degree of competition increases. Therefore, if cooperation does enhance well-being, the maximum degree of competition may be not efficient.
AB - We investigate the effects of competition on subjects' attitude towards cooperation. Three groups face three economic environments with different degrees of competition, from a benchmark case with no competition at all up to a perfect competition case. Subjects contribute generously to a public project in the absence of competition, whereas they contribute very little in the presence of a maximum degree of competition. A diminishing attitude towards cooperation clearly emerges as the degree of competition increases. Therefore, if cooperation does enhance well-being, the maximum degree of competition may be not efficient.
KW - Competition
KW - Cooperation
KW - Efficiency
KW - Well-being
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37749052847&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.socec.2006.12.045
DO - 10.1016/j.socec.2006.12.045
M3 - Article
SN - 1053-5357
VL - 37
SP - 18
EP - 30
JO - Journal of Socio-Economics
JF - Journal of Socio-Economics
IS - 1
ER -