Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/53134 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 3658
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
This paper uses data from a firm with team production to investigate the association between workers' productivity, risk aversion and preferred bonus scheme (team or individual). Standard economics make a strong prediction in this case. Workers persistently producing above the team average should vote for an individual bonus. The only concern that may moderate this preference is risk aversion. The economic model predicts the case at hand fairly well. Relative work place productivity is strongly associated with a preference for individual bonuses, and risk aversion is associated with a preference for a team bonus. There is, however, one noticeable exception to this pattern: a substantial fraction of low performers prefer an individual bonus. I argue there are two types of other regarding concerns that can explain why under-performers prefer a payment system that reduces their income; distributional fairness and social emotions.
Subjects: 
payment systems
risk aversion
social appraisal
fairness
JEL: 
J33
D63
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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