Generosity and Trust Flashcards
Social loafing, teamwork.
social loafing: tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group compared to working alone.
Self-serving biases: we take credit for team successes, but not failures. CEOs take credit for 83% of positive events and 19% of negative events.
Husbands and Wives Study example
16 out of 20 were overestimated, and none were significantly underestimated.
why do we believe we are more generous than we are?
Cognitive and motivational reasons:
- People are more familiar with their own contributions and scarifies than other people’s, which might not have been shared or attended to.
- Due to their own experience of their contributions, it is easier available or easier recalled.
- People want to feel like they are contributing, so confirmation bias can support that feeling.
reciprocity styles: givers, takers, matchers
Takers: take more than they give
Matchers: give as much as take
Givers: give more than take.
Reciprocity
People tend to return a favor.
Trust
A psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based upon the expectation that another person will behave in a positive way.
- It is the intention to accept vulnerability.
Erikson and Bowlby’s theories on trust
Erikson’s emphasise that trust is formed early in life, particularly during the first stages of development. A strong sense of trust early lays the foundations for healthy relationships throughout life.
Bowlby’s attachment theory underscores the importance of early relationship with caregivers in shaping the ability to trust. Safe childhood = ability to trust later on
Trust across countries and economic growth
Countries with low levels of trust who then experience high level of trust see a significant improvement in economic growth.
Initially high levels trust in countries that already have it experience diminishing effects on the economic growth. Simply because they already have solid systems and further increasing doesn’t necessarily change it to higher standards.
Cooperation, “tit for tat”
cooperate on first game and do whatever counterpart did on last game in subsequent games.
how to succeed in games
- Be nice. Cooperate. Not first to defect.
- Be provocable: return defect for defect. Cooperate for cooperate.
- Don’t be envious. Focus on maximizing your own score. Don’t just focus on the competitors.
- Don’t be too clever. Don’t try to be tricky.
How to build trust?
Start with interdependence, then build trust. Lead by example: trickle down effect. The behaviors of someone trickle down on the rest.
Costs of taking
- People don’t want to work with takers if they have a choice
- Takers can be 2-3x more harmful tan a giver is helpful to an organisation
How to identify a taker?
Search for cues of whether potential employer is trustworthy or acts reasonable.
- Ask workers.
- Ask competitors.
- Google them.
Do this before accepting a job offer.
