Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107404
Marco Clemens , Laszlo Goerke
This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of the relationship between trade union membership and non-performance-oriented bonuses. We expect a positive impact of union membership because members can benefit from special entitlements, increased bargaining power and informational advantages. Using data from the German Socio-economic Panel (GSOEP), we observe that union members are more likely to receive at least one bonus payment per year, a higher number and amount of bonuses than comparable non-members. We also observe the positive union membership effect for employees covered by collective bargaining or co-determination via works councils. Employing a novel instrumental variable, we find evidence of a positive effect of union membership on the number and level of bonus payments. Furthermore, higher bonuses do not go along with decreases in base wages or other pay components.
{"title":"Trade union membership and bonus payments: German survey evidence","authors":"Marco Clemens , Laszlo Goerke","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of the relationship between trade union membership and non-performance-oriented bonuses. We expect a positive impact of union membership because members can benefit from special entitlements, increased bargaining power and informational advantages. Using data from the German Socio-economic Panel (GSOEP), we observe that union members are more likely to receive at least one bonus payment per year, a higher number and amount of bonuses than comparable non-members. We also observe the positive union membership effect for employees covered by collective bargaining or co-determination via works councils. Employing a novel instrumental variable, we find evidence of a positive effect of union membership on the number and level of bonus payments. Furthermore, higher bonuses do not go along with decreases in base wages or other pay components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107414
Feng Zhu , Wenbo Zou
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are widely regarded as having the potential to enhance human creativity. In a pre-registered lab experiment, we assigned 302 university students tasks involving the creation of ideas for generating creative pictures, with a randomly selected subset granted access to ChatGPT. The results indicate that access to ChatGPT improves participants’ creative performance. The treatment effect follows an inverted-U relationship with respect to participants’ baseline creative potential, leading to a reduction in the inequality of their creative performances. Comparing the creative performance of human-AI teams to ChatGPT standalone, we find no evidence of complementarity. However, by using measures construed from the human-AI conversations to explain the variations in the observed treatment effects, we find suggestive evidence that collaborative involvement of ChatGPT is associated with more positive effects. Finally, we also observe significant treatment effects on participants’ opinions about AI, their ratings of subjective experiences during the tasks, and their self-reported creative and problem-solving abilities.
{"title":"Generative AI adoption in human creative tasks: Experimental evidence","authors":"Feng Zhu , Wenbo Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107414","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are widely regarded as having the potential to enhance human creativity. In a pre-registered lab experiment, we assigned 302 university students tasks involving the creation of ideas for generating creative pictures, with a randomly selected subset granted access to ChatGPT. The results indicate that access to ChatGPT improves participants’ creative performance. The treatment effect follows an inverted-U relationship with respect to participants’ baseline creative potential, leading to a reduction in the inequality of their creative performances. Comparing the creative performance of human-AI teams to ChatGPT standalone, we find no evidence of complementarity. However, by using measures construed from the human-AI conversations to explain the variations in the observed treatment effects, we find suggestive evidence that collaborative involvement of ChatGPT is associated with more positive effects. Finally, we also observe significant treatment effects on participants’ opinions about AI, their ratings of subjective experiences during the tasks, and their self-reported creative and problem-solving abilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107414"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107393
Daniela Flörchinger
While there is abundant empirical evidence of individuals switching between selfish and prosocial behavior, few economic models formalize these findings. This paper presents a novel model that jointly analyzes three key concepts for understanding prosocial behavior: moral balancing, self-signaling, and motivated reasoning. Individuals maximize material utility under the constraint of maintaining a minimum level of self-image (moral balancing), where self-image depends on signals extracted from past behavior (self-signaling). The processing of these signals is biased toward arriving at a positive self-image (motivated reasoning). The time horizon for which the self-image constraint is active depends on individuals’ intrinsic motivation and their awareness of self-image relevant choices. Selfish behavior tends to be higher when the constraint is only active in the long term and it increases with the tendency toward motivated reasoning. These results are partially consistent with experimental results. The model suggests that voluntary prosocial behavior is unlikely to be sustained and thus calls for adequate policy measures.
{"title":"A model of moral balancing under motivated reasoning","authors":"Daniela Flörchinger","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While there is abundant empirical evidence of individuals switching between selfish and prosocial behavior, few economic models formalize these findings. This paper presents a novel model that jointly analyzes three key concepts for understanding prosocial behavior: moral balancing, self-signaling, and motivated reasoning. Individuals maximize material utility under the constraint of maintaining a minimum level of self-image (moral balancing), where self-image depends on signals extracted from past behavior (self-signaling). The processing of these signals is biased toward arriving at a positive self-image (motivated reasoning). The time horizon for which the self-image constraint is active depends on individuals’ intrinsic motivation and their awareness of self-image relevant choices. Selfish behavior tends to be higher when the constraint is only active in the long term and it increases with the tendency toward motivated reasoning. These results are partially consistent with experimental results. The model suggests that voluntary prosocial behavior is unlikely to be sustained and thus calls for adequate policy measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107419
Yuyu Chen , Ming Fang , Xuan Wang
In a hierarchical academic system, power can distort the allocation of research resources and output ownership. We study the role of power in intellectual property acquisition. Using biographical information on deans in elite universities in China, we find that holding a deanship increases patent applications by 15.2%. Further analysis suggests that the deanship effect is driven by misuse of power rather than ability or research resources. We provide causal evidence by showing that an anti-corruption campaign, which increases the cost of misusing power, substantially reduces the deanship effect. Finally, we find that misusing power distorts resource allocation. Our results highlight the importance of an improved institutional environment in allocating resources toward productive innovation.
{"title":"(Mis)use of power in the ivory tower: Evidence from deans in Chinese universities","authors":"Yuyu Chen , Ming Fang , Xuan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107419","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107419","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In a hierarchical academic system, power can distort the allocation of research resources and output ownership. We study the role of power in intellectual property acquisition. Using biographical information on deans in elite universities in China, we find that holding a deanship increases patent applications by 15.2%. Further analysis suggests that the deanship effect is driven by misuse of power rather than ability or research resources. We provide causal evidence by showing that an anti-corruption campaign, which increases the cost of misusing power, substantially reduces the deanship effect. Finally, we find that misusing power distorts resource allocation. Our results highlight the importance of an improved institutional environment in allocating resources toward productive innovation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107419"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107411
Yeow Hwee Chua , Zu Yao Hong
This paper examines how beliefs of tail risk events influence macroeconomic expectations in a Bayesian learning model with noisy signals. Relative to a Gaussian model, we show theoretically and quantitatively that the misperception of tail risk results in overreaction to first and second-moment shocks. First-moment shocks generate excessive optimism and pessimism in individuals as they provide valuable information about tail risk. Second-moment shocks, which are countercyclical, give rise to more pessimistic forecasts during downturns as higher uncertainty is linked to an increased likelihood of recessions. Our findings shed light on factors driving overreaction in expectations and highlight the importance of uncertainty shocks in propagating macroeconomic stability.
{"title":"Tail risk and expectations","authors":"Yeow Hwee Chua , Zu Yao Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines how beliefs of tail risk events influence macroeconomic expectations in a Bayesian learning model with noisy signals. Relative to a Gaussian model, we show theoretically and quantitatively that the misperception of tail risk results in overreaction to first and second-moment shocks. First-moment shocks generate excessive optimism and pessimism in individuals as they provide valuable information about tail risk. Second-moment shocks, which are countercyclical, give rise to more pessimistic forecasts during downturns as higher uncertainty is linked to an increased likelihood of recessions. Our findings shed light on factors driving overreaction in expectations and highlight the importance of uncertainty shocks in propagating macroeconomic stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107411"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107412
Raicho Bojilov , Francisco Brahm , Joaquin Poblete
Quantitative evidence from the field on the output loss due to incentive ratcheting is mixed. One possible explanation is that the output response to ratcheting varies with the level of ratcheting. This paper estimates how the output cost of ratcheting varies with the level of ratcheting using rich data from the restructuring of the salesforce of a large Chilean producer and distributor of beverages. We show that in response to reducing ratcheting by one standard deviation, the salespersons at this firm increase sales by an average of 19%. The output response is non-linear in ratcheting: Output reduction is greatest when workers move from low or no ratcheting to some ratcheting. We execute additional analysis to verify the causal nature of our result.
{"title":"Measuring the output reduction due to incentive ratcheting in the field","authors":"Raicho Bojilov , Francisco Brahm , Joaquin Poblete","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantitative evidence from the field on the output loss due to incentive ratcheting is mixed. One possible explanation is that the output response to ratcheting varies with the level of ratcheting. This paper estimates how the output cost of ratcheting varies with the level of ratcheting using rich data from the restructuring of the salesforce of a large Chilean producer and distributor of beverages. We show that in response to reducing ratcheting by one standard deviation, the salespersons at this firm increase sales by an average of 19%. The output response is non-linear in ratcheting: Output reduction is greatest when workers move from low or no ratcheting to some ratcheting. We execute additional analysis to verify the causal nature of our result.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107412"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107359
Joan Madia , Catia Nicodemo , Cristina Tealdi
{"title":"Editorial introduction to the JEBO special issue on immigration, health, and well-being","authors":"Joan Madia , Catia Nicodemo , Cristina Tealdi","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107359","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107359"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107409
He Huang , Ruipeng Tan , Zhiming Yang
This paper investigates the impact of intergenerational coresidence on household financial outcomes in patriarchal societies. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey, we find that coresiding parents significantly increase the likelihood of their biological child assuming household headship, a result that remains robust after a series of robustness checks. Intergenerational coresidence positively affects households’ financial market participation, portfolio diversification, and asset returns. Parents’ consistent support and adherence to traditional gender norms play crucial roles and the effects of intergenerational coresidence is unidirectional. Moreover, we find that a negative shock to community-level gender equality dampens the positive influence of intergenerational coresidence on financial behavior, highlighting the intricate interplay between household structure and financial decision-making. These findings offer valuable insights into how family dynamics and social gender norms shape economic outcomes, with implications for policies aimed at enhancing financial inclusion and intergenerational well-being.
{"title":"Supporters or hinderances? Intergenerational coresidence and household finance under patriarchy","authors":"He Huang , Ruipeng Tan , Zhiming Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the impact of intergenerational coresidence on household financial outcomes in patriarchal societies. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey, we find that coresiding parents significantly increase the likelihood of their biological child assuming household headship, a result that remains robust after a series of robustness checks. Intergenerational coresidence positively affects households’ financial market participation, portfolio diversification, and asset returns. Parents’ consistent support and adherence to traditional gender norms play crucial roles and the effects of intergenerational coresidence is unidirectional. Moreover, we find that a negative shock to community-level gender equality dampens the positive influence of intergenerational coresidence on financial behavior, highlighting the intricate interplay between household structure and financial decision-making. These findings offer valuable insights into how family dynamics and social gender norms shape economic outcomes, with implications for policies aimed at enhancing financial inclusion and intergenerational well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107409"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107418
Nicole Black , Danusha Jayawardana , Gawain Heckley
Recent research shows that birth order affects human capital outcomes, yet there is limited empirical evidence on the underlying mechanisms. This study examines the effect of birth order on children’s time use across activities that are important for human capital development. Using detailed time-use diaries of Australian children aged 2–15, we find that within families with two or three children, later-born children spend less time on enrichment activities and more on digital media, compared to first-born children. We obtain the same findings when we repeat the analysis using detailed time-use diaries of US children. Further investigation reveals that part of the birth order effect is driven by parents spending less time with later-born children compared to first-borns. However, later-borns also independently devote less of their own time to enrichment activities, suggesting that personal time use may be an important mechanism behind the well-documented impact of birth order on human capital development. We find evidence that later-born children experience more lenient parenting, which may help explain this pattern of own time use.
{"title":"The effect of birth order on children’s time use","authors":"Nicole Black , Danusha Jayawardana , Gawain Heckley","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent research shows that birth order affects human capital outcomes, yet there is limited empirical evidence on the underlying mechanisms. This study examines the effect of birth order on children’s time use across activities that are important for human capital development. Using detailed time-use diaries of Australian children aged 2–15, we find that within families with two or three children, later-born children spend less time on enrichment activities and more on digital media, compared to first-born children. We obtain the same findings when we repeat the analysis using detailed time-use diaries of US children. Further investigation reveals that part of the birth order effect is driven by parents spending less time with later-born children compared to first-borns. However, later-borns also independently devote less of their <em>own</em> time to enrichment activities, suggesting that personal time use may be an important mechanism behind the well-documented impact of birth order on human capital development. We find evidence that later-born children experience more lenient parenting, which may help explain this pattern of own time use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107418"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107413
Lu Dong , Lingbo Huang
Preventive war arises from fears of future power shifts threatening the status quo. However, critics argue that since power shifts can be influenced by states’ strategic decisions, preventive war can always be avoided. Using a lab experiment and a representative survey, this paper investigates how states’ endogenous decisions affect the likelihood of conflict. We focus on two strategies: a containment policy, where rising states halt their own growth to prevent a power shift, and a commitment policy, where they make binding future offers without altering the power shift trajectory. Our findings show that while both policies reduce the likelihood of preventive war, containment is much less preferred than commitment. Additionally, declining states often resort to costly coercive containment measures rather than trusting the self-containment of rising states. In the representative survey, we pose conceptually similar questions to understand broader public opinions regarding international politics and find patterns that are consistent with the experimental results.
{"title":"Curtailed ambition: Endogenous power shift and preventive war","authors":"Lu Dong , Lingbo Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jebo.2026.107413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Preventive war arises from fears of future power shifts threatening the status quo. However, critics argue that since power shifts can be influenced by states’ strategic decisions, preventive war can always be avoided. Using a lab experiment and a representative survey, this paper investigates how states’ endogenous decisions affect the likelihood of conflict. We focus on two strategies: a containment policy, where rising states halt their own growth to prevent a power shift, and a commitment policy, where they make binding future offers without altering the power shift trajectory. Our findings show that while both policies reduce the likelihood of preventive war, containment is much less preferred than commitment. Additionally, declining states often resort to costly coercive containment measures rather than trusting the self-containment of rising states. In the representative survey, we pose conceptually similar questions to understand broader public opinions regarding international politics and find patterns that are consistent with the experimental results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 107413"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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