Melanie Marks

Step returns in threshold public goods: A meta- and experimental analysis

One important determinant of voluntary contributions to public goods is the value of the public good relative to that of the forgone private good. Isaac, Walker and Thomas (1984) formalized this relation in the Marginal Per Capita Return (MPCR) and demonstrated its influence on the provision of linear public goods. This paper develops a parallel concept, in the context of a threshold public good, the Step Return (SR). After providing a meta-analysis of the effect of SR in previous experiments, we compare contributions in threshold public goods games with low, medium and high SRs. Results show that subjects respond to the SR in this setting just as they respond to the MPCR in the linear public goods setting: higher SRs lead to more contributions.

Alternative rebate rules in the provision of a threshold public good: An experimental investigation

Abstract This study reports the effects of rebate rules on voluntary contributions to a threshold public good. Rebate rules specify how excess contributions, over the threshold amount are distributed. We examine three rebate rules experimentally: a no rebate policy where excess contributions are discarded, a proportional rebate policy where excess contributions are rebated proportionally to an individuals contribution, and a utilization rebate policy where excess contributions provide some continuous public good. Significantly more Nash equilibrium outcomes are observed under the no rebate treatment than under either of the other two. Interestingly, the variance of contributions differs significantly between rebate treatments.

The Effect of Incomplete Information in a Threshold Public Goods Experiment

Fiscal stress and decreasing government budgets have led to renewed interest in voluntary contributions for the funding of public goods. This paper experimentally examines the Provision Point Mechanism (PPM), a voluntary contribution mechanism for the funding of lumpy public goods. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of this mechanism at providing public goods, however all were conducted in an environment of complete information, which fails to capture the uncertainties of the real world. This study tests the efficacy of the PPM in informationally limited settings. We find no significant differences in the rate of successful provisions or level of group contributions when subjects have limited information about the valuations of others than when they have complete information.

The effect of recommended contributions in the voluntary provision of public goods

Recommended contributions are often observed in fundraising campaigns for charitable and other public goods. We present an experiment investigating the impact of recommended contributions in a voluntary threshold public goods process. We find that when valuations for the public good are heterogeneous, recommended contributions significantly increase the likelihood of efficient provision, although when valuations are homogeneous, the effect of recommendations is less compelling. This article represents a first step in understanding recommended contributions and other nonbinding, cheap-talk announcements in public goods provision and charitable contributions. (JEL H41, C72)

The Adoption of Social Media as Educational Technology among Marketing Educators.

Social media usage has grown rapidly in recent years, as individuals have incorporated social networks such as Facebook into their daily activities and businesses have begun to use social tools to interact with consumers. Many social media tools, likewise, have applications relevant for marketing education. This study assesses the adoption of social media as educational technology among marketing educators. The results suggest that, while many of those surveyed use social media personally, most tools have not been widely embraced for educational purposes. Reported barriers to adoption include limited time, challenges adjusting to the quantity of tools available, and perceived functional uses of the tools. Implications for marketing educators are discussed.

Understanding Students’ Attitudes About Group Work: What Does This Suggest for Instructors of Business?

A survey was administered to college students to gain insight into their attitudes about classroom group work. Students responded that group work is generally a positive experience; however, they do not necessarily prefer it to individual assignments. Students’ responses also indicated concerns about instructors’ motivations for using group work, management of the process (or lack thereof) by instructors, free riding by teammates, and being accountable for the work of others. When comparing business and nonbusiness majors, some interesting, statistically significant differences are found. For example, business majors are more willing to be held accountable for the work of others and are more willing to terminate group members.

Cooperation versus Free Riding in a Threshold Public Goods Classroom Experiment

Abstract: The authors present a classroom public goods experiment on the basis of a provision-point mechanism (PPM), where subjects must make an all or nothing decision about providing the public good. As a teaching tool, this design is superior to traditional prisoners dilemma games because it creates multiple equilibrium in which individual financial incentive to contribute less may result in a coordination failure. Because the PPM does not incorporate a dominant strategy to free ride, students must individually choose a level of cooperation without the benefits of communication. Students discover problems of achieving an optimal social outcome because failure to coordinate on an efficient equilibrium can eliminate benefits to the group. This experiment is an excellent vehicle for introducing game theoretic problems of public good provision and for engendering meaningful discussion of real-world applications.

The Round-Robin Mock Interview Maximum Learning in Minimum Time

INTERVIEW SKILLS—being able to talk about yourself and highlight your appropriate skills in the context of a job’s requirements in what is often a stressful environment—is critical to a job seeker’s success in obtaining employment. One needs only to glance at the business section of any bookstore to find a wealth of self-help books on topics related to landing a job. A standard business school curriculum often incorporates lessons on how to conduct a job search, including business interviews. However, these lessons are usually part of another course—business communications early on and perhaps a capstone class closer to graduation. Learning interview skills takes time. In addition to classroom lectures and discussions, students must have the opportunity to practice their skills in a mock interview activity, usually a time-consuming activity. When teaching interview skills is not a primary goal of the class, it is almost prohibitive to provide the time necessary to conduct mock interviews in the classroom.

Do Differences in GPA Impact Attitudes about Group Work? A Comparison of Business and Non-Business Majors.

Using survey data the authors investigate the impact of grade point average (GPA) on students’ preferences for classroom group work and its structure. Topics range from general attitudes and beliefs (benefits to grades, impact on mastery of material, professors’ motives) to administration (group composition, grading, peer reviews, group leadership). It was hypothesized that students act as GPA maximizers (prefer higher grades if holding all else equal) and therefore high achievers would answer many of the questions differently than low achievers. Regression results suggest that, generally, GPA better explains survey results for non-business majors than for business majors.

Using the Circular Flow of Income Model to Teach Economics in the Middle School Classroom

ABSTRACT The circular flow of income diagram is a traditional starting point for economics taught at the high school and college level. Although it is an incredibly useful tool for illustrating how money flows through the economy, the model can be abstract and relies on a sophisticated vocabulary that makes it impractical for use with younger students. This paper offers techniques for making the model accessible to middle school students and offers activities for reinforcing the concepts taught.