The demand for products linked to public goods: Evidence from an online field experiment

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: McManus, Brian; Bennet, Richard
• 署名单位: University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.04.005
• 发表日期: 2011
• 页码: 403-415
• 关键词: Field experiments; Nonprofit organisations; Corporate social responsibility; E-commerce

摘要

We conduct a field experiment at a nonprofit organization's online store to study how demand changes when consumers' purchases can generate revenue for a charitable cause. When purchases can trigger a small donation by an outside anonymous group, consumers respond strongly and apparently without regard for the specific conditions that trigger the donation. Consumers respond similarly when the outside donation requires a personal donation which consumers generally decline. When the outside donations are relatively large, however, consumers appear to pay close attention to the trigger conditions, and increase their purchases only where needed to generate the outside donation. Overall, increasing the salience of financial incentives weakens consumers' positive responses to the outside group's donation pledges. We also present evidence that the donation pledges have positive long-term effects on demand and may reduce price sensitivity. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.