Cooperation vs. Competition: Alternative Goal Structures for Motivating Groups in a Resource Scarce Environment

• DOI: 10.5465/amj.2014.0201
• Publication Date: 2015-06-26T03:57:02Z
• Authors: Geoffrey M. Kistruck; Robert B. Lount; Brett R. Smith; Brian J. Bergman; Todd W. Moss
• Keywords: Scarcity

There is a growing consensus that cooperative goal structures are more effective at motivating groups than competitive structures. However, such results based largely on studies conducted in highly-controlled settings where participants were provided with the necessary resources to accomplish their assigned task. In an attempt extend boundary conditions of current theoretical predictions, we undertook field experiment within base-of-the-pyramid setting resource scarcity extremely high. Specifically, collected data 44 communities rural Sri Lanka who tasked contributing portion construction school building; 24 competition condition and 20 cooperation condition. The our experiment, subsequent follow-up interviews focus groups, collectively suggest generally lead higher levels motivation scarce environment. also can be highly when unfamiliar one another, as cooperating provide access valuable rare knowledge settings.