ICES Experimental Economics Brown Bag Lecture

Identity, Leadership and Cooperation: An Experimental Analysis

Thursday, November 12, 2020 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Online Location, Zoom Meeting

The Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science (ICES) presents an ICES Brown Bag Lecture featuring:

Moumita Roy

George Mason University

Identity, Leadership and Cooperation: An Experimental Analysis 

 

Please contact ICES Office Manager (sbahabib@gmu.edu) for Zoom link.

 

Abstract

Effective leaders promote cooperation among their followers. Although many studies have focused on approaches to effective leadership, none have studied how social identity—both the leader’s and the group's impact a leader’s effectiveness. Here, we report data from leader-follower games where the leader may or may not share a social identity with the rest of the group. Our main finding is that ingroup leaders are more effective than outgroup leaders. In particular, ingroup leaders are more likely to suggest greater cooperation among followers, and their suggestions are more likely to be followed. These findings provide evidence of an important challenge to achieving the well-documented organizational benefits that stem from a diverse and inclusive workplace.

 

For more information about the Brown Bag Lectures, please visit the Brown Bag Schedule homepage.