Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics
Working Papers,
Lund University, Department of Economics
No 2025:10: Public Discourse, Norm Adherence, and Socially Responsible Behavior
Iker Arregui Alegria (), Gunes Gokmen () and Roel van Veldhuizen ()
Additional contact information
Iker Arregui Alegria: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: School of Economics and Management, Box 7080, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Gunes Gokmen: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: School of Economics and Management, Box 7080, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Roel van Veldhuizen: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: School of Economics and Management, Box 7080, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden
Abstract: This paper examines the causal effect of public discourse in one or both sides of the market on overall market socially responsible behavior. In a laboratory setting, we vary whether firms and/or consumers participate in a public discussion before trading begins. When both sides take part, the share of socially responsible trades increases slightly; however, when only one side participates, market social responsibility does not improve relative to a no-discourse control. These findings suggest that campaigns aiming to foster socially responsible conduct must engage all sides of the market to achieve meaningful impact. We also provide evidence that the effectiveness of public discourse will be limited when participants prioritize profits over norm adherence.
Keywords: Public Discourse; Externalities; Social Responsibility; Experiment
Language: English
71 pages, November 25, 2025
Full text files
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