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on Social Norms and Social Capital |
| By: | Andreas Freytag (School of Economics and Business Administration, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena); Sebastian von Engelhardt (School of Economics and Business Administration, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena) |
| Abstract: | The paper analyzes the impact of institutional and cultural factors on a remarkable economic activity: the production of so-called open source software (OSS). OSS is marked by free access to the software and its source code. Copyright-based OSS licenses permit users to use, change, improve and redistribute the software, which is designed and developed in a public, collaborative manner. OSS seems to be an example of a 'private provision of a public good'. While the supply-side microeconomics of OSS (individual characteristics of OSS developers, role of firms etc.) are well explored, it is not known which institutional and cultural factors explain different OSS activities across countries. For this reason, we perform a cross-country study analyzing how the number of OSS developers per inhabitants and the level of OSS activity of a country depend on institutional and cultural factors. Our findings are that a culture characterized by individualism/self-determination, abundance of social capital interpreted as interpersonal trust, an optimistic view of scientific progress, a low degree of regulation as well as good protection of intellectual property rights is favoring OSS activities. Our study thus contributes to the understanding of the role of cultural and nstitutional factors in general as well as in particular with respect to OSS. Additionally, it improves the understanding of the supply-side of OSS. |
| Keywords: | Open Source, Culture, Institutions, Social Capital, Trust, Regulation, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Individualism, Intellectual Property Rights |
| JEL: | B52 L17 L86 O34 Z13 Z19 |
| Date: | 2010–02–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2010-010&r=soc |
| By: | Yamamura, Eiji |
| Abstract: | Using Japan’s prefecture-level panel data from 1989-2001, this paper examines the influence of the social norm on a person’s smoking behavior when the complementary relationship between smoking and drinking is taken into account. The key findings through a dynamic panel model controlling for unobserved prefecture-specific fixed effects are as follows: (1) Influence from others is stronger when people live more closely and cohesively. A tightly knit society results in a reduction of smoking through smoking-related interaction. (2) Smoking and drinking have a complementary relationship: greater initial consumption of alcohol results in larger consumption of cigarettes. (3) The complementary relationship between smoking and dinking is attenuated if the cost of committing the annoying conduct (i.e., smoking) is high. Overall, this empirical study provides evidence that the psychological effect of the presence of surrounding people has a direct significant effect upon smoking behavior and, furthermore, that it attenuates the complementary relationship between smoking and drinking, thereby reducing cigarette consumption. These results indicate that not only formal rules but also tacitly formed informal norms are effective deterrents to smoking. |
| Keywords: | Smoking behavior; Social norm |
| JEL: | I12 Z13 I10 |
| Date: | 2010–02–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20777&r=soc |
| By: | Thomas Stenger (CEREGE - Centre de Recherche en Gestion - Université de Poitiers : EA); Alexandre Coutant (CEREGE - CEntre de REcherche en GEstion - Université de Poitiers : EA) |
| Abstract: | Social Networks Sites (SNS) such as Facebook, MySpace, Skyrock.com or Linkedin have become new fields of investigation for marketing. Even though the phenomenon has met with an amazing popular success, only a few scientific works have been published on this subject. This article proposes initially to evaluate the situation by a review of the experts' discourses and, then, a an analysis of the texts in core disciplines specialising in social networks analysis (mainly sociometry, anthropology and sociology). Finally this work will help us to propose a definition for SNS as a research subject and to design a methodology for marketing research |
| Date: | 2009–03–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00458325_v1&r=soc |
| By: | Luca Andriani (Department of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics, Birkbeck); Dimitrios Karyampas (Department of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics, Birkbeck) |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates whether social capital can affect the standard living of the Italian households based on poverty and social exclusion. The analysis is developed at the regional level through cross-sections based in the year 2002 and in the year 2003. The indices of social capital that we use are the associational activity a la Putnam and a new proxy based on the regional density of industrial districts. By using the empirical model advanced by Grootaert (2001) we find that our results confirm the theory of social capital and poverty transition mechanism advanced by Narayan and Woolcock (2000). Moreover we find significant and negative correlation between social capital and the measures of social exclusion. All these results, drive the paper to the conclusion that social capital is positively correlated to higher level of living standard. |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bbk:bbkefp:1005&r=soc |
| By: | Giovanni Signorello (University of Catania); Enrico Bertacchini (University of Torino); Walter Santagata (University of Torino) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to analyse patterns of private individual giving to Cultural Heritage institutions in Italy. Based on the emerging economic literature on pro-social behavior, we carried out a Contingent Valuation survey to assess individuals’ willingness to donate to museums and heritage organizations according to different conditions and set of incentives. Our findings reveal that intrinsic motivations and accountability of the recipient institutions may be more effective drivers for eliciting charitable giving than the usually proposed fiscal incentives. The results provide avenues for future empirical research and policy suggestions for fund raising cultural institutions. |
| Keywords: | Charitable Giving, Cultural Heritage, Contingent Valuation, Pro-social Behavior |
| JEL: | D11 D12 H4 Z1 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2010.11&r=soc |
| By: | Michaelides, Marios |
| Abstract: | Previous research on migration has focused more on the effect of wage differences between the destination and the origin on migration and less on how non-pecuniary attachments workers have to their current location may affect their migration decisions. In this paper, we examine how the presence of a strong social network and desirable location amenities in the current location may deter individual migration across U.S. metropolitan areas. Our empirical results show that, controlling for wage and housing cost differences between metropolitan areas, workers with strong attachments to their current location are significantly less likely to move. Interestingly, the effects of a strong social network and desirable location amenities on individual migration decisions are more important than the effect of wage or housing cost differentials between the destination and the origin. |
| Keywords: | migration; worker mobility; mobility costs; location amenities; wages; housing costs |
| JEL: | J6 R3 J3 J01 R2 |
| Date: | 2009–12–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20379&r=soc |
| By: | Ivo Bischoff (University of Kassel, Nora-Platiel-Straße 4, D-34109 Kassel); Henrik Egbert (University of Gießen, Licher Straße 66, D-35394 Gießen) |
| Abstract: | We present an economic experiment on the impact of social information on voter behaviour and find strong support for bandwagon behaviour in voting decisions. In total, 418 subjects participated in the experiment. Bandwagon behaviour is found among both male and female subjects. |
| Keywords: | C90, D72 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mar:magkse:201005&r=soc |
| By: | Uwe Cantner (School of Economics and Business Administration, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena); Michael Stützer (School of Economics and Business Administration, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the use of social capital in the venture creation process. We compare solo entrepreneurs (n=182) and new venture teams (n=274) from a random sample of start-ups in innovative industries and test social capital use and its effects on firm performance. Our results reveal that solo entrepreneurs and new venture teams do not differ in their degree of use of social capital. However, there are differences in the determinants of social capital use in both groups. We find that weak ties assist solo entrepreneurs and have positive significant effects on new venture performance. For team start- ups, we find no direct effect of social capital. However, further tests indicate for teams that human capital variety positively moderates the effect of social capital on performance. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurship, Nascent entrepreneurship, Social capital, Start-up teams, Entrepreneurial learning |
| JEL: | M13 L25 L26 D83 |
| Date: | 2010–02–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2010-012&r=soc |
| By: | Marion Haas (CHERE, University of Technology, Sydney) |
| Abstract: | The rationale for addressing the issue of social networks and social network analysis in the context of health policy is to investigate the extent to which these theoretical and analytical paradigms represent feasible and useful tools to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed at increasing the likelihood that policy makers will use evidence from research in formulating health and health services policy. In this context, the investigation of social network theory and analysis is informed by the needs of the Sax Institute, which is a coalition of University and research groups undertaking public health and health services research in NSW. The aim of the Institute is to build partnerships between researchers and health policy and service delivery agencies and, through these partnerships, develop research assets and programs and support researchers to enable and strengthen policy and practice focused research. Although the final outcome of interest is the formulation of evidence-informed policy (and, by inference, its implementation and the subsequent improvement in outcomes such as enhanced health services delivery and/or improved health status of those affected by the policy), it is unlikely that a direct link between the research evidence used, the formulation of policy, its implementation and any outcomes will be able to be observed within the limited resources available to the Sax Institute. Therefore, for the purposes of this paper, policy formulation and implementation will be treated as processes, and their link to health services and patient/population health status will be assumed. The paper will focus on the use of social networks in encouraging or enhancing links between the research evidence and policy formulation aspects of the process and the feasibility of using social network analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of such links. In particular, the issue of researcher-policy maker interaction will be dealt with, in terms of the extent to which a social network is likely to encourage such interactions and the extent to which interactions, in turn, facilitate the development of evidence-informed policy. The paper is structured as followsa: social networks and social network analysis are described in section 2, including a brief explanation of the theoretical underpinnings of the constructs. Section 3 covers some literature describing how networks have been used to link researchers and policy makers (research policy networks) and any evaluations of such networks. Section 4 will repeat this exercise with examples from the literature of health research policy networks (or similar) and will focus on the extent to which networks are likely to be effective in the context of policy relating to health and health services, and, if they are, what might be the characteristics required for a network to be successful. In turn, this will allow some consideration of how the effectiveness of a network could be evaluated. The final section (section 5) will draw some conclusions from the preceding sections and raise some issues for the Sax Institute to consider. |
| Keywords: | Social network theory, Australia |
| JEL: | I10 |
| Date: | 2009–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:her:chewps:2009/5&r=soc |
| By: | Setsuya Fukuda (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the relationship between home-leaving intensities of young adults and the rapid social, economic, and demographic changes that took place in post-World War II Japan. By using event-history modeling, the study shows that the declines in sibling numbers and in rural residence discourage young adults from leaving home before marriage. The practice of stem-family norms helps to explain the delay to some extent. Finally, marriage delay has a substantial impact on later home-leaving as leaving home is closely linked with marriage in Japan. |
| Keywords: | Japan, adulthood, economic growth, employment, event history analysis, household, marriage, modernization, school enrolment |
| JEL: | J1 Z0 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2010-007&r=soc |
| By: | Jørgen Drud Hansen; Hassan Molana; Catia Montagna; Jørgen Ulff-Møller Nielsen |
| Abstract: | We examine how openness interacts with the coordination of consumption-leisure decisions in determining the equilibrium working hours and wage rate when there are leisure externalities (e.g., due to social interactions). The latter are modelled by allowing a worker’s marginal utility of leisure to be increasing in the leisure time taken by other workers. Coordination takes the form of internalising the leisure externality and other relevant constraints (e.g., labour demand). The extent of openness is measured by the degree of capital mobility. We find that: coordination lowers equilibrium work hours and raises the wage rate; there is a U-shaped (inverse-U-shaped) relationship between work hours (wages) and the degree of coordination; coordination is welfare improving; and, the gap between the coordinated and uncoordinated work hours (and the corresponding wage rates) is affected by the extent and nature of openness |
| Keywords: | coordination, corporatism, openness, capital mobility, social multiplier, welfare, work hours |
| JEL: | F2 J2 J5 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dun:dpaper:229&r=soc |
| By: | Alberto F. Alesina; Yann Algan; Pierre Cahuc; Paola Giuliano |
| Abstract: | Flexible labor markets require geographically mobile workers to be efficient. Otherwise, firms can take advantage of the immobility of workers and extract monopsony rents. In cultures with strong family ties, moving away from home is costly. Thus, individuals with strong family ties rationally choose regulated labor markets to avoid moving and limiting the monopsony power of firms, even though regulation generates lower employment and income. Empirically, we do find that individuals who inherit stronger family ties are less mobile, have lower wages, are less often employed and support more stringent labor market regulations. There are also positive cross-country correlations between the strength of family ties and labor market rigidities. Finally, we find positive correlations between labor market rigidities at the beginning of the twenty first century and family values prevailing before World War II, which suggests that labor market regulations have deep cultural roots. |
| JEL: | J2 K2 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15747&r=soc |