Rational Behavior in Groups: The Free-Riding Tendency
- 1 April 1985
- journal article
- Published by Academy of Management in Academy of Management Review
- Vol. 10 (2) , 244-255
- https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1985.4278118
Abstract
The individual actor in a group and his or her assessment of the expected net benefits of contributing to the group's common interest compared to the benefits of free riding is the central concern of free-rider theory. Free-rider theory and research designed to test parts of the theory are reviewed. Three findings of value to managers are offered: (1) a free-riding tendency operates in groups, (2) free riding and group size are related, and (3) managers can use various strategies to counter free riding.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Objective and Social Sources of Information in Task Redesign: A Field ExperimentAdministrative Science Quarterly, 1983
- Experiments on the Provision of Public Goods by Groups III: Nondivisibility and Free Riding in "Real" GroupsSocial Psychology Quarterly, 1980
- The commons problem: Alternative perspectives.American Psychologist, 1980
- Behavior, communication, and assumptions about other people's behavior in a commons dilemma situation.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1977
- Getting blood from collective turnips: Volunteer donation in mass blood drives.Journal of Applied Psychology, 1976
- Free Ride, Free Revelation, or Golden Rule?The Journal of Law and Economics, 1975
- Estimating demand for public goods: An experimentEuropean Economic Review, 1972
- The Tragedy of the CommonsScience, 1968
- Ethical Rules, Expected Values, and Large NumbersEthics, 1965
- The Calculus of ConsentPublished by University of Michigan Library ,1960