Volunteering and the strategic value of ignorance

Private provision of public goods often takes place as a war of attrition: individuals wait until someone else volunteers and provides the good. After a certain time period, however, one individual may be randomly selected. If the individuals are uncertain about their cost of provision, but can find out about this cost ahead of the volunteering game, a strategic value is attached to the information, and individuals may prefer not to learn their cost of provision. If the time horizon is sufficiently short, in equilibrium only one individual may acquire information about his cost. For a long time horizon, acquiring information is strictly dominant. The time limit is an important instrument in influencing the efficiency of the volunteering game. -- Die private Bereitstellung öffentlicher Güter ähnelt häufig einem Zermürbungskrieg: Die Beteiligten warten, bis sich jemand anderes freiwillig meldet und das öffentliche Gut bereitstellt. Nach einer gewissen Zeitperiode des Wartens kann jedoch ein Beteiligter zufällig dazu bestimmt werden, die Bereitstellung zu übernehmen. Wenn die Beteiligten ihre Bereitstellungskosten nicht genau kennen, sich aber vor dem Bereitstellungsspiel Information über ihre Kosten beschaffen können, dann kommt dieser Information ein strategischer Wert zu; die Beteiligten könnten es vorziehen, ihre Bereitstellungskosten nicht genau zu kennen. Wenn der Zeithorizont des Bereitstellungsspiels hinreichend kurz ist, entscheidet sich im Gleichgewicht lediglich ein Beteiligter, Information zu akquirieren. Bei einem längeren Zeithorizont ist es eine strikt dominante Strategie, sich Information zu beschaffen. Der Zeithorizont stellt ein wichtiges Instrument zur Beeinflussung der Effizienz des Bereitstellungsspiels dar.War of attrition,volunteering,discrete public goods,asymmetric information,information acquisition

Volunteering and the Strategic Value of Ignorance

Private provision of public goods often takes place as a war of attrition: individuals wait until someone else volunteers and provides the good. After a certain time period, however, one individual may be randomly selected. If the individuals are uncertain about their cost of provision, but can find out about this cost ahead of the volunteering game, a strategic value is attached to the information, and individuals may prefer not to learn their cost of provision. If the time horizon is sufficiently short, in equilibrium only one individual may acquire information about his cost. For a long time horizon, acquiring information is strictly dominant. The time limit is an important instrument in influencing the efficiency of the volunteering game.war of attrition, volunteering, discrete public goods, asymmetric information, information acquisition

Volunteering and the strategic value of ignorance

"Private provision of public goods often takes place as a war of attrition: individuals wait until someone else volunteers and provides the good. After a certain time period, however, one individual may be randomly selected. If the individuals are uncertain about their cost of provision, but can find out about this cost ahead of the volunteering game, a strategic value is attached to the information, and individuals may prefer not to learn their cost of provision. If the time horizon is sufficiently short, in equilibrium only one individual may acquire information about his cost. For a long time horizon, acquiring information is strictly dominant. The time limit is an important instrument in influencing the efficiency of the volunteering game." (author's abstract)"Die private Bereitstellung öffentlicher Güter ähnelt häufig einem 'Zermürbungskrieg': Die Beteiligten warten, bis sich jemand anderes freiwillig meldet und das öffentliche Gut bereitstellt. Nach einer gewissen Zeitperiode des Wartens kann jedoch ein Beteiligter zufällig dazu bestimmt werden, die Bereitstellung zu übernehmen. Wenn die Beteiligten ihre Bereitstellungskosten nicht genau kennen, sich aber vor dem Bereitstellungsspiel Information über ihre Kosten beschaffen können, dann kommt dieser Information ein strategischer Wert zu; die Beteiligten könnten es vorziehen, ihre Bereitstellungskosten nicht genau zu kennen. Wenn der Zeithorizont des Bereitstellungsspiels hinreichend kurz ist, entscheidet sich im Gleichgewicht lediglich ein Beteiligter, Information zu akquirieren. Bei einem längeren Zeithorizont ist es eine strikt dominante Strategie, sich Information zu beschaffen. Der Zeithorizont stellt ein wichtiges Instrument zur Beeinflussung der Effizienz des Bereitstellungsspiels dar." (Autorenreferat

Similarity and polarization in groups

"The focus of this paper is the endogenous formation of peer groups. We study a model in which agents choose their peers prior to making decisions on multiple issues. Agents differ in how much they value the decision outcomes on one issue relative to another. While each individual can collect information on at most one issue, all information is shared within the group. Thus, the group's preference composition affects the type of information that gets collected. We characterize stable groups, groups that are optimal for all their members. When information costs are low, stable groups must be sufficiently homogeneous. Furthermore, stability requires more similarity among extremists than among moderate individuals. When information costs are substantial, a free rider problem arises, and makes extreme peers more desirable, as they are more willing to invest in information acquisition. We show that, as information costs grow, polarization appears and becomes increasingly pronounced in stable groups." (author's abstract

A strategic mediator who is biased into the same direction as the expert can improve information transmission

This note reconsiders communication between an informed expert and an uninformed decision maker with a strategic mediator in a discrete Crawford and Sobel (1982) setting. We show that a strategic mediator may improve communication even when he is biased into the same direction as the expert. The mediator improves communication, however, only if some information transmission is possible with unmediated communication. -- In dieser Note wird die Kommunikation zwischen einem informierten Experten, einem strategischen Mediator und einem uninformierten Prinzipal in einer diskreten Umgebung à la Crawford und Sobel (1982) untersucht. Wir zeigen, dass ein strategischer Mediator die Kommunikation sogar dann verbessern kann, wenn sein Bias und der Bias des Experten gleichgerichtet sind. Diese Verbesserung der Kommunikation setzt jedoch voraus, dass bereits die Kommunikation ohne Mediator Informationstransmission ermöglicht.Communication,Information,Cheap talk,Mediation

Similarity and polarization in groups

The focus of this paper is the endogenous formation of peer groups. We study a model in which agents choose their peers prior to making decisions on multiple issues. Agents differ in how much they value the decision outcomes on one issue relative to another. While each individual can collect information on at most one issue, all information is shared within the group. Thus, the group's preference composition affects the type of information that gets collected. We characterize stable groups, groups that are optimal for all their members. When information costs are low, stable groups must be sufficiently homogeneous. Furthermore, stability requires more similarity among extremists than among moderate individuals. When information costs are substantial, a free rider problem arises, and makes extreme peers more desirable, as they are more willing to invest in information acquisition. We show that, as information costs grow, polarization appears and becomes increasingly pronounced in stable groups. --Homophily,Polarization,Group Formation,Information Collection

Exclusion in the all-pay auction: An experimental investigation

Contest or auction designers who want to maximize the overall revenue are frequently concerned with a trade-off between contest homogeneity and inclusion of contestants with high valuations. In our experimental study, we find that it is not profitable to exclude the most able contestant in favor of greater homogeneity among the remaining contestants, even if the theoretical exclusion principle predicts otherwise. This is because the strongest contestants considerably overexert. A possible explanation is that these contestants are afraid they will regret a low but risky bid if they lose and thus prefer a strategy which gives them a low but secure pay-off. -- Steht bei einer Auktion oder einem Turnier die Maximierung der Gesamtanstrengung aller Teilnehmer im Vordergrund, besteht ein Zielkonflikt zwischen der Homogenität der Teilnehmer und der Teilnahme ausgesprochen starker Wettbewerber. Aus der theoretischen Literatur ist das sogenannte Ausschlussprinzip bekannt, das besagt, dass der leistungsstärkste Agent aus einer Gruppe von Teilnehmern ausgeschlossen werden sollte, wenn das Leistungsgefälle zu groß ist. Dieses Prinzip wird einem experimentellen Test unterzogen. Es zeigt sich, dass sich der Ausschluss des stärksten Teilnehmers nie lohnt, da sich dieser weit über die Maßen anstrengt, sofern er an der Auktion teilnimmt. Die übermäßige Anstrengung ist umso prominenter, je überlegener der stärkste Teilnehmer gegenüber dem zweitstärksten ist. Dieses Verhalten kann mit einer Aversion gegenüber dem Gefühl des Bedauerns erklärt werden, das die stärksten Teilnehmer spüren, wenn sie sich weniger anstrengen und in Folge den Wettbewerb verlieren.experiments,contests,all-pay auction,heterogeneity,regret aversion

Information acquisition in a war of attrition

We consider a war of attrition in which the winner is determined according to the unobservable state of nature on a stochastic deadline and players can acquire information about the state at any time during the game. We study how the players' incentive to acquire information interacts with the verifiability of the acquired information. When the information is verifiable, players only have an incentive to free ride on the opponent's information acquisition and, thus, there is excessive delay. When the information is unverifiable, an informed player obtains information rents. This provides an incentive for players to acquire information more quickly, thereby reducing delay. However, an uninformed player catches up on information acquisition so as not to be exploited by the informed player, which creates redundant duplication in information acquisition. We show that in the most natural class of equilibria the two effects cancel each other out and, thus, the players' payoffs are identical, regardless of whether information is verifiable. We also show that, in our model, the faster the deadline arrives, the longer the conflict lasts.postprin

Assessing Member Satisfaction Within the Volunteer Fire Service in South Carolina

This dissertation examines satisfaction levels among volunteer firefighters. In 1985, there were 838,000 volunteer firefighters in the United States. This number dropped to below 756,000 in 2011. Because only eight percent of fire departments in the United States do not utilize volunteer firefighters, reversing the decline in the number of volunteer firefighters is essential to the safety of the public and other firefighters. This study utilized a mixed methods approach to determine what motives exist for those to join the volunteer fire service, how these motives alter and map to expectations for continued service, and how well volunteer departments are meeting these different expectations. A snowball sample completed interviews and concept maps, which enabled the study to identify the widest breadth of factors involved. Then a random, representative sample of volunteer firefighters in the State of South Carolina completed a survey to evaluate the importance of motives and expectations as well as satisfaction levels and projected end of service. Regression analysis determined what factors have an influence on a volunteer firefighter�s service length. Results determined that there is no long-term connection of service length associated with initial motives to join. Overall, volunteer firefighters join with na�ve motives that become informed expectations to continue service. These expectations are mainly values and enhancement factors such as helping others, civic responsibility, serving as a role model, being a member of valued public service and a feeling of accomplishment, but also include a few understanding and social factors such as obtaining training and fellowship. This research also concluded that fire departments are doing well at meeting volunteers� expectations and providing them satisfaction. Despite this conclusion, improvements are necessary. Satisfaction from values factors, years of service, gender, population type served, and equipment (such as light, siren, radio) in a volunteer�s personal vehicle have a statistically significant influence on eventual service length, while satisfaction from enhancement factors, intermittent service, race, and career motives to join have a marginally significant influence. From a practical standpoint, this study offers recommendations that fire service leaders can use to improve volunteer recruitment and retention.Fire & Emergency Management Administratio

Volunteering and the Strategic Value of Ignorance

Private provision of public goods often takes place as a war of attrition: individuals wait until someone else volunteers and provides the good. After a certain time period, however, one individual may be randomly selected. If the individuals are uncertain about their cost of provision, but can find out about this cost ahead of the volunteering game, a strategic value is attached to the information, and individuals may prefer not to learn their cost of provision. If the time horizon is sufficiently short, in equilibrium only one individual may acquire information about his cost. For a long time horizon, acquiring information is strictly dominant. The time limit is an important instrument in influencing the efficiency of the volunteering game