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on Social Norms and Social Capital |
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Issue of 2025–11–24
seven papers chosen by Fabio Sabatini, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” |
| By: | Voigt, Stefan; von Jacobi, Nadia |
| Abstract: | The crucial importance of institutions for economic and social development has become part of the conventional wisdom in economics. In recent years, economists have become particularly interested in the potential role of informal institutions but measuring them remains a serious challenge. This paper collects more than three dozen variables depicting various informal institutions, meaning institutions whose non-compliance is sanctioned by members of society, in up to 180 countries. It draws on individual and collective measures elicited through different approaches such as surveys and lab experiments, but also family types and language traits. The resulting dataset can be used in many ways. We apply correlation network analysis to showcase which variables are more adequate for which type of empirical application. |
| Keywords: | informal institutions, internal institutions, culture, conventions, social norms, customs, institutional economics, correlation network analysis, system |
| JEL: | A13 D90 K00 O10 Z10 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ilewps:89 |
| By: | Marie-Claire Broekhoff; Carin van der Cruijsen |
| Abstract: | The banking sector is undergoing a rapid transformation due to the digitalisation of financial services, which has led to the widespread closure of bank branches. This study examines the relation between the presence of bank branches in the Netherlands and consumer trust in the payment system. Such trust is essential for the smooth functioning of the payment system. Using regional data from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce on bank branch locations and a consumer survey from De Nederlandsche Bank and the Dutch Payment Association, we estimate fixed effects models to assess how branch closures affect trust in the payment system in general (broad-scope trust) and trust in payment services offered by consumers’ own bank (narrow-scope trust). The results indicate the presence of bank branches is positively associated with both trust measures, although the effects are small. Municipalities without a bank branch exhibit significantly lower levels of narrow-scope trust, while broad-scope trust is unaffected. Furthermore, the closure of two or more branches within a year reduces trust slightly. The findings provide new insights for further research and highlight the importance of maintaining accessible banking services to safeguard consumer trust, whether that is through a physical bank location or a financially inclusive alternative. |
| Keywords: | broad-scope trust; narrow-scope trust; bank branches; financial inclusion |
| JEL: | G21 D12 O33 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dnb:dnbwpp:848 |
| By: | Sistelo, Marta; Mazeda Gil, Pedro |
| Abstract: | Culture and social capital may be variables of particular interest when explaining economic growth. In recent years, policymakers and economists have increasingly considered their role in economic growth, yet cultural capital and social capital are analyzed separately. Despite being different concepts of capital, in this paper we argue that there is a link between cultural and social capital, and both need to be accounted for when analyzing economic growth and welfare. We develop a theoretical dynamic general-equilibrium model using a mainstream endogenous economic growth set-up (namely with human capital accumulation), incorporating cultural and social capital. We use the model to devise long-run and transitional-dynamics effects from the perspective of both economic growth and welfare, explicitly considering the interplay between cultural and social capital and other forms of capital. A detailed calibration of the model allows for the derivation of quantitative results, with an emphasis on policy implications. |
| Keywords: | Endogenous Growth; Social Capital; Cultural Capital; Human Capital; Welfare |
| JEL: | J24 O4 Z10 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126644 |
| By: | Maja Adena; Eleonora Alabrese; Francesco Capozza; Isabelle Leader |
| Abstract: | We test whether AI-generated news images affect outlet demand and trust. In a pre-registered experiment with 2, 870 UK adults, the same article was paired with a wire-service photo (with/without credit) or a matched AI image (with/without label). Average newsletter demand changes little. Ex-post photo origin recollection is poor, and many believe even the real photo is synthetic. Beliefs drive behavior: thinking the image is AI cuts demand and perceived outlet quality by about 10 p.p., even when the photo is authentic; believing it is real has the opposite effect. Labels modestly reduce penalties but do little to correct mistaken attributions. |
| Keywords: | AI, demand for news, trust, online experiment |
| JEL: | C81 C93 D83 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12277 |
| By: | Pasquale Accardo (University of Bath); Adriano Amati (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia); Giovanni Mastrobuoni (Collegio Carlo Alberto; University of Turin; University of Essex) |
| Abstract: | This study uses a unique longitudinal data set on daily museum visits in Northern Italy to investigate how social networks influence leisure consumption. Based on detailed administrative records of museum cardholders, we use repeated joint visits to build a dynamic network of peers. We identify peer effects that exploit exogenous variation in membership prices generated by age-based discounts. We find robust evidence of peer spillovers in both museum attendance and membership renewal, primarily driven by a preference for shared experiences. These results underscore the role of social interactions in shaping leisure demand and support the view that social networks can amplify individual behavior. More broadly, our findings contribute to the understanding of peer dynamics in settings where consumption is inherently social. |
| Date: | 2025–09–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eid:wpaper:58192 |
| By: | Clara Koetz (Rennes SB - Rennes School of Business); Sarah Hudson (Rennes SB - Rennes School of Business) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the effect of formal (e.g., codes of conduct [COC] and punishment) and informal (e.g., peer behavior) ethical systems on employees' unethical intentions. Previous studies disagree about the effectiveness of COC and punishment policies on individuals' unethical intentions. Moreover, there is not much research regarding the interactive effects of formal and informal norms in organizations on unethical behavior and how employees decide when there is incongruence between formal and informal ethical systems. To investigate this, we propose the following research question: What is the effect of distinct formal (implicit and explicit COC and strong and weak punishment policies) and informal (peers' ethical and unethical behaviors) ethical systems on individuals' unethical decisions? The results of an exploratory qualitative study (N = 275) and an experimental study (N = 374) demonstrate that (1) peer behavior has the strongest effect on individuals' unethical intentions; (2) punishment and clear COC combined are effective in reducing unethical intentions when peers behave unethically; however, in these contexts, rules are ineffective when not supported by punishment policies, and punishment can be counterproductive when rules are implicit or nonexistent. Our study contributes to the literature on ethical decision-making by showing how combinations of formal and informal ethical systems influence unethical intentions. It also offers valuable recommendations to managers on reducing unethical behavior in companies. |
| Keywords: | Formal and informal ethical systems, Formal and informal ethical systems Social norms Ethical decision making Punishment, Punishment, Ethical decision making, Social norms, Ethical Perceptions |
| Date: | 2025–02–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05104973 |
| By: | Alejandra Villegas (Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico) |
| Abstract: | This study examines how gender norms are enforced through social sanctions using an online experiment in the Sierra Nororiental of Puebla, Mexico. Combining norm elicitation tasks and a dictator game, it analyzes how participants react to norm compliance and deviation in the division of unpaid domestic labor. Results indicate that sanctioning behavior varies by the gender of both the evaluator and the norm violator, revealing a hierarchical and gendered enforcement structure. The study also identified a discrepancy between self-declared attitudes and behavioral responses: although many participants claimed to support gender equality, they penalized behaviors aligned with that position when those behaviors were perceived as norm violations. These insights have implications for policy interventions aimed at promoting gender equality, suggesting that effective change requires shifting the social expectations and sanctioning logics that underpin persistent inequalities.der board diversity is associated with a 0.75 percentage point rise in the labor share. The effect is stronger in services, in smaller firms, and among firms with persistently low productivity. A counterfactual analysis demonstrates a high semi-elasticity of employment as the driving mechanism behind these findings. |
| Keywords: | gender norms, social expectations, punishment, experimental economics, unpaid care and domestic work |
| JEL: | C91 J16 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fme:wpaper:110 |