Responses to normative and norm-violating behavior: Culture, job mobility, and social inclusion and exclusion

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the effects of culture and mobility on the utilization of monetary rewards and punishments in response to norm-related behaviors (e.g., honesty and dishonesty), but less is known about their effects on the utilization of social inclusion and exclusion. Three experiments found that individuals in high job mobility contexts were more likely to exclude dishonest actors than those in low mobility contexts; job mobility did not affect the level of social inclusion. Experiment 1 demonstrated cultural differences in the utilization of social inclusion/exclusion versus monetary rewards/punishments, with perceived job mobility as an underlying mechanism. Experiment 2 provided a behavioral measure of social inclusion/exclusion. Experiment 3 manipulated job mobility and found that the perceived difficulty of social exclusion mediated the relationship between job mobility and social exclusion. This paper illustrates critical boundary conditions for past findings and provides insight into responses to norm-related behavior across different cultures.