Egoistic Motives Research Articles

Herd immunity versus self-interest motives and norms effects on influenza vaccination intention.

Promoting vaccine uptake is challenging. This research aimed to experimentally test the effect of communication strategies on influenza vaccine uptake intention. We hypothesized that the effect of descriptive norm level (10%-50%-90% of others vaccinated) on intention would vary according to whether the benefits are focused on the individual (self-interest motives) or others (herd-immunity motives). In particular, we predicted that low and high levels of norms would be detrimental in the herd-immunity condition (inverted-U pattern). In contrast, intention should increase linearly with the norm in the self-interest condition. A representative sample of the Swiss population answered a survey containing vignettes manipulating norms (within-subjects variable) and motives (between-subjects variable, randomized). Their intention to receive a flu shot was measured for each situation. As expected, a significant simple quadratic effect of norm was obtained in the herd-immunity condition. No linear effect was found in the self-interest condition. A main effect of motives was found: The intention was higher in the herd-immunity condition than in the self-interest condition. Sensitivity analysis showed that our results are robust, except for the simple quadratic effect in the herd-immunity condition. Herd-immunity motive is more motivating to induce intention to vaccinate against influenza. The effect of norms appears to depend on the motive, and average levels of norms seem to be more motivating than very low and very high levels. The way vaccination is presented can influence adoption rates, and this should be considered when vaccination rates are communicated in the media. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of self-interest in unethical pro-organizational behavior: A nomological network meta-analysis.

To date, the unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) literature has been guided by a prosocial perspective, which argues that people engage in UPB primarily to benefit the employers with whom they identify and have a positive social exchange. According to this perspective, employees who are characteristically self-interested are less likely to engage in UPB. However, recent evidence suggests self-interest may play a larger role in motivating UPB than originally theorized. To clarify this controversy, we offer two different, but not necessarily mutually exclusive, perspectives of UPB-one in which UPB is driven primarily by prosocial motives and one in which it is driven primarily by self-interest. We tested which of these accounts of UPB was more strongly supported by comparing UPB's relationships with two nomological networks: one containing relatively prosocially motivated constructs and the other containing relatively self-interest-motivated constructs. Two of the eight hypotheses from the prosocial perspective were supported, while seven of the eight hypotheses from the self-interest perspective were supported. Additionally, the average absolute value of UPB's correlations with prosocial perspective constructs was .09, while the comparable average correlation with self-interest perspective constructs was .33. Thus, the results favored the self-interest perspective. We discuss how these findings change our theoretical understanding of UPB by acknowledging both its prosocial and self-interest motivations, and we accordingly propose a revised definition for UPB that allows for both of these motivations. We also examined more broadly the relationship between UPB and other constructs to provide a comprehensive meta-analytic overview of this literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How effort-based self-interest motivation shapes altruistic donation behavior and brain responses.

Prosocial behaviors are central to individual and societal well-being. Although the relationship between effort and prosocial behavior is increasingly studied, the impact of effort-based self-interested motivation on prosocial behavior has received less attention. In the current study, we carried out two experiments to examine the effect of motivation to obtain a reward for oneself on donation behavior and brain response. We observed that individuals who accumulated more money in the effort-expenditure rewards task (EEfRT) donated a lower proportion of their earnings. The sigmoid model fitted participants' choices in the EEfRT task, and the effort-reward bias and sigma parameters negatively correlated with the amount of money donated in the donation task. Additionally, the effort-reward bias and sigma parameters negatively predicted N2 amplitude during processing of charitable donation-related information. We propose that individuals who exhibit a lower level of effort-based self-interest motivation may allocate more cognitive control or attentional resources when processing information related to charitable donations. Our work adds weight to understanding the relationship between effort-based self-interest motivation and prosocial behavior and provides electrophysiological evidence.

Common and distinct equity preferences in children and adults.

Fairness plays a crucial role in children's social life and has garnered considerable attention. However, previous research and theories primarily examined the development of children's fairness behaviors in the conflict between self-interest motivation and fairness-complying motivation, neglecting the influence of advantage-seeking motivation. Moreover, despite the well-established role of gain/loss frame in human decision-making, it remains largely unclear whether the framing effect modulates fairness behaviors in children. It was hypothesized that children would exhibit advantage-seeking motivation resulting in more selfish behaviors in the loss context. To examine the hypothesis, we combined an adapted dictator game and computational modeling to investigate various motivations underlying fairness behaviors of children in both loss and gain contexts and to explore the developmental directions by contrasting children and adults. In addition, the current design enabled the dissociation between fairness knowledge and behaviors by asking participants to decide for themselves (the first-party role) or for others (the third-party role). This study recruited a total of 34 children (9-10 years, Mage = 9.82, SDage = 0.38, 16 females) and 31 college students (Mage = 19.81, SDage = 1.40, 17 females). The behavioral results indicated that children behaved more selfishly in first-party and more fairly in third-party than adults, without any significant framing effects. The computational results revealed that both children and adults exhibited aversion to advantageous and disadvantageous inequity in third-party. However, they showed distinct preferences for advantageous inequity in first-party, with advantage-seeking preferences among children and aversion to advantageous inequity among adults. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of children's social preferences and their developmental directions.

Understanding Factors Affecting Consumers’ Conscious Green Purchasing Behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on customer behavior. A transition from traditional to environmentally friendly purchasing has been observed in the buying- and consuming-goods setting. Our research sought to discover the factors that influence customers’ conscious green purchasing behavior (GPB), even though these factors had not been extensively studied before. Additionally, it investigated how COVID-19 has impacted consumers’ conscious GPB. Drawing upon the S–O–R model, we developed an integrated model to understand factors affecting conscious GPB. A total of 884 responses were gathered and analyzed by employing the structural equation modeling technique. Our study collected data from consumers in Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that media and peer influence have a significant effect on activating both altruistic and egoistic drives, whereas family influence was shown to be insignificant. The correlations between media exposure and peer influence were significantly mediated by altruistic and egoistic motivations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a beneficial influence on the formation process of conscious GPB. The results suggest that peers have a greater impact on conscious GPB through multiple motives, as compared to the influence of media. The findings of this examination provide several meaningful theoretical and managerial implications for marketers in the green consumption setting.

Corporate social responsibility dimensions and stock price crash risk: Evidence from the management's self-interest perspective

This paper adopts the lens of management's self-interest motives to explore the potential influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its distinct dimensions on the risk of stock price crashes. Our findings reveal that CSR performance can effectively reduce the likelihood of future stock price crashes. Notably, the principal source of this risk mitigation stems from the dimensions of environmental responsibility and stakeholder responsibility, while the dimension of social responsibility does not exhibit a statistically significant effect on this phenomenon. We further find undervalued companies are able to benefit more from CSR and its various dimensions in terms of crash risk mitigation. Finally, we adopt the difference-in-difference test to discern the underlying mechanisms. Our research highlights that CSR, particularly environmental responsibility and stakeholder responsibility, contributes to the reduction of inefficient investments, deters management from selling shares, and curbs online platform manipulation, ultimately leading to a decreased risk of stock price crashes.

M&A performance commitments and insider trading: ‘Listen to their words’ or ‘watch their actions’?

Whether performance commitment will become a tool for insiders to pursue self-interest through cashing out at a high price is an important issue worthy of research. While academics generally agree that performance commitments bring positive synergies to both sides of M&A, some scholars have begun to focus on the reasons and economic consequences behind the failure of performance commitments recently. Using data from 850 A-share listed firms in China over the period from 2008 to 2019, we examine the relationship between performance commitments and insider trading by the acquirer. The results show that the greater the degree of performance commitments, the larger the scale of stock sales by the acquirer's executives and the smaller the scale of their net stock purchases after the announcement of M&A, which exhibits heterogeneity across different corporate property rights and performance commitment characteristics. The above findings suggest that high performance commitment is a tool for insiders to “speculation”. This paper innovatively reveals the self-interested motives and negative economic consequences of signing high performance commitments from the view of insider trading, and it provides a new perspective for investors to recognize the investment risks.

Mentors' motives and mentoring functions: comparing social and commercial new ventures

PurposeEntrepreneurial support programs, like incubators and accelerators, often offer mentorship to new ventures. However, existing research on mentoring has mainly focused on the entrepreneur's perspective, leaving researchers with limited understanding of why experienced mentors provide support to new ventures. This study aimed to explore mentors' motives in mentor–venture relationships and their impact on the advisory process. It also examined different types of mentors (social and commercial) and their motivations for assisting and supporting new ventures.Design/methodology/approachThe present study utilizes a qualitative research approach to investigate the motivations and mechanisms through which new venture mentors assist founders in their growth and success. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 mentors supporting both social and commercial ventures. These mentors were selected from ten accelerator and incubator programs situated in Belgium. The interviews aimed to gain insights into the mentors' motivations and their experiences in the role of mentors.FindingsBased on the social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity, this study identified two main motives of mentors: “gaining back” reflecting mentors’ self-interest in deriving benefits from the relationship and “paying back” representing their altruistic reasons for supporting new ventures. Additionally, the study identified mentor functions that primarily involved providing career-related support to new ventures. Moreover, the research revealed intriguing similarities and differences in the motivations and mentoring functions between mentors of social and commercial ventures.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should explore the evaluation process and criteria used by mentors and new ventures when selecting each other for a productive mentoring relationship. Additionally, further investigation is needed to examine the firm-level impact of various mentoring services on the performance of social and commercial new ventures at different stages of development. Comparing mentor motives and functions across diverse geographical settings would address the limitation of the study and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study can inform policymakers, accelerator and incubator program managers and new ventures seeking mentors and support initiatives. They can use the insights to design effective mentoring programs that align with the specific needs and motivations of mentors and new ventures. Understanding the different motives and functions of mentors can help in the selection of appropriate mentors who can provide the necessary support and expertise to new ventures.Social implicationsThe study highlights the importance of mentorship in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Accelerator and incubator programs play a crucial role in connecting new ventures with mentors who have the right motivation and expertise, contributing to the growth and success of new ventures and the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem. By identifying both altruistic and self-interest motivations in mentoring relationships, the study emphasizes the dual dimensions that characterize the mentor–venture relationship. This understanding can foster stronger collaborations and reciprocal exchanges between mentors and new ventures, ultimately benefiting both parties.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by exploring the mentor–new venture relationship from mentors' perspective. It expands the existing research on mentor–protégé relationships, broadening the understanding of mentoring dynamics in different organizational settings. The findings offer insights grounded in social exchange theory and provide directions for future research on mentor–venture relationships, resource exchange and relationship development. The study also holds practical implications for policymakers and program managers involved in fostering mentoring initiatives for new ventures.

Psychology as a First Principle? Self-Love and the Will to Power in La Rochefoucauld and Nietzsche

ABSTRACT Both Nietzsche and La Rochefoucauld rejected metaphysical principles, such as the Kantian moral imperatives, and adopted psychology as their first philosophy. In this article I explore their views of self-love and of the will to power as the first principles of human motivation. Although both thinkers reduce actions to egoistic motives, they define the human drives and passions differently. While Nietzsche criticizes La Rochefoucauld’s view of a self-love-oriented intention as the principal cause of deeds, his interpretation is reductionist seeing that La Rochefoucauld also gives a quasi-expressivist account of deeds based on multiple drives. Unlike La Rochefoucauld, Nietzsche claims that there is no preexisting intention before or behind deeds, but rather that the doer expresses herself in and through her deeds. He laments that La Rochefoucauld’s concept of self-love is overshadowed by Christianity and criticizes him for condemning secular virtues as postlapsarian vices in disguise. Egoism, for Nietzsche, is a drive that is ingrained in the psyche for self-elevation. By comparing and contrasting their views, I conclude that self-love for La Rochefoucauld is pure self-affirmation at the expense of other drives or other agents, while Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power is a master-drive’s organization of other drives in service of the grander project of the self, which at the same time allows the subordinate drives to express themselves and fulfill the functions proper to their own nature. This interpretation sheds light on the key concept of egoism and the will to power in Nietzsche’s moral psychology, as well as on the first principles of human action in Nietzsche and La Rochefoucauld.

Shareholder nomination of independent directors: Evidence from China

This study explores the motives behind individual shareholders nominating independent directors (IDs) in China. By tracing ID nominations to the specific nominators that independent directors represent and provides direct evidence how ID nomination is linked to the individual shareholders' motives of monitoring managerial self-interest and private benefits of control, we uncover two primary insights. Firstly, compared to nominations made by the board of directors, individual shareholders are more inclined to nominate IDs for oversight of managerial self-interest (monitoring motive). However, they tend not to make such nominations when it would enable them to potentially accrue private benefits of control (conspiring motive). Additional tests present the influence of ownership structure, state ownership and the cumulative voting system on ID nominations by these shareholders. Moreover, we find such nominations by individual shareholders amplify firm value by mitigating Type I agency costs between managers and shareholders, enhance financial reporting quality and alleviate information asymmetry. Our study suggests that ID nominations by individual shareholders serve as an effective governance tool, particularly beneficial for non-majority shareholders. These findings carry relevance for researchers and regulators concerned with corporate governance and capital markets.

Egoistic and altruistic claims in organic cotton apparel advertising

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of egoistic and altruistic values on purchase behaviors of organic cotton apparel. Our findings indicated that egoistic, social-altruistic, and biospheric values have a positive and significant effect on purchase intentions. In addition, when examining the effectiveness of egoistic and altruistic claims in organic cotton apparel advertising, we found a significant effect of advertising claim type on brand attitudes, product attitudes, and purchase intentions. Organic cotton apparel ads were the most effective in persuading consumers when they contain egoistic claims such as information about low price and personal health benefits. The findings suggested that altruistic claims alone may not be effective in promoting purchase behaviors and thus should be combined with egoistic claims. While it is widely accepted that altruistic considerations foster green apparel purchase behaviors, egoistic aspects of the purchase are often ignored. However, our findings showed that egoistic motives may play an important role in the purchase process of organic cotton apparel. Therefore, it would be important for marketers of organic cotton apparel to link such products to consumers’ egoistic considerations.

COVID-19 in social networks: unravelling its impact on youth risk perception, motivations and protective behaviours during the initial stages of the pandemic

ABSTRACT The study explores the roles of youth prosocial, self-interested and controlled motivations to comply with recommended protective behaviour during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We test the interrelations of awareness of COVID-19 cases in social network, risk perception, motivation and behaviour, via structural equation modelling on self-reported data from 1,265 undergraduate university students. Analysis identified prosocial motivation and self-interested motivation as equally strong for predicting young people’s behaviour while controlled motivation revealed no association. The presence of known COVID-19 cases in social networks could differently affect perceived risks of disease and motivation to comply with protective measures. While awareness of severe consequences positively affects motivation, awareness of mild cases, in contrast, decreases perceived disease severity.

Do social media influence altruistic and egoistic motivation and green purchase intention towards green products? An experimental investigation

Do social media influence altruistic and egoistic motivation and green purchase intention towards green products? An experimental investigation

Motivating Factors to Volunteers in Hawassa

The purpose of this study was to investigate the joint and independent contributions of power, security, conformity, tradition, benevolence, universalism, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism and achievement values to the variance in motivation to volunteer. The data were collected from 153 volunteers who were providing volunteer services in Hawassa, Misrak, and Mehal Sub-Cities. Quantitative data analysis was used. Similarly, means, standard deviations, logistic regression, discriminant analyses, item and factor analyses, t-tests, and bar charts were used to examine the data gathered from the two volunteer groups. The study finding from regression analysis indicated that the three most prominent factors that significantly contributed to the variance in motivation to volunteer were: security, universalism, and selfdirection. Analysis which employed structure coefficients and discriminant analysis nonetheless added stimulation and power as important variables in predicting self-interested motivation to volunteer. Theseresults plainly highlighted that the major contributing factors to self-interested motivation to volunteer were self-expressive orientation variables. In other words, volunteers who displayed self-interested motivation to volunteer if they were not bothered by the stability of society in their relationships, had no value for the protection of all people did not want to avoid the threat of uncertainties by controlling relationships or resources, and were internally interested in personal judgment and uniqueness. This may have implications for volunteering service institutions in that there is a need for an intervention program which is intended to encourage people to develop and internalize other-oriented value priorities for volunteer involvement.

Tokenism in the workplace: does brand activism benefit LGBTQ+ employees in the hospitality industry?

PurposeHospitality firms adopted diverse hiring policies and public declarations of support for LGBTQ+ causes through brand activism. The impact of activism on LGBTQ+ employees’ workplace experiences has been ambiguous. This study aims to examine the hospitality and tourism employees’ perceptions of gay and lesbian leaders as token-hires among hospitality employees and the spillover effect on company’s motives for hiring the leaders. This study further explores LGBTQ+ employees’ reactions to token-hiring as a form of activism, and how workplace interactions as passing/revealing LGBTQ+ individuals shaped their career development.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a sequential mixed-methods design. An experiment examines how employees judge gay vs lesbian hospitality leaders as token hires, contingent on their own gender identity. It further tests the conditional mediation of tokenism on company’s egoistic motives for activism. A qualitative study explores the reactions to token-hiring as activism from the perspective of LGBTQ+ leaders who reflect on their own careers and workplace experiences.FindingsTokenism in the hospitality workplace is recognized as the phenomenon attributed to groups at the intersection of identities (e.g. gay men). Findings demonstrate the spillover effect of tokenism perceptions of gay male leaders by other men on company’s egoistic motives for activism. This effect is not observed for a lesbian female leader. Results from interviews suggest that hospitality and tourism LGBTQ+ employees predominantly take the post-gay vs political approach when managing their sexual identities at work and feel ambivalent toward token-hiring as LGBTQ+ brand activism.Originality/valueThis research contributes to understanding workplace challenges of LGBTQ+ employees and how they are perceived by others contingent on gender identity. It also explores the role of tokenism in their experiences.

Save Myself or Others? The Influence of Attitude toward FMCG Products from Recycled Material on the Intention to Buy Them: Hidden Motives and the Role of Income

Buying products made from recycled materials is an important way to support sustainability, especially in the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) context. Because these are the products that make up a very large part of consumer spending, it is very important to encourage consumers to buy them when they are made from recycled materials. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the relationship between income, egoistic and altruistic motives, attitude toward FMCG products from recycled material, and intention to buy them. To reach the research aim, questionnaire research was applied and structural equation modeling was carried out to analyze the research results. Based on the analysis of research results, income negatively influenced egoistic motives regarding buying recycled FMCG. Moreover, egoistic motives influenced attitude but did not directly or indirectly influence intention. Altruistic motives were not influenced by income but directly influenced attitude and intention to buy FMCG from recycled materials. When communicating about the benefits of recycled FMCG, altruistic motives should be highlighted, including rationalization of these aspects with specific calculations supporting these statements. Based on research results, such communication could facilitate the highest possibility of developing a sustainable FMCG market from recycled materials.

The effect of multidimensions of trust and donors' motivation on donation attitudes and intention toward charitable organizations

AbstractThis study examined both donors' personal characteristics and the multidimensional attributes of charitable organizations to illuminate how donation intention is formed. The proposed research model was developed based on the theory of planned behavior, and a total of 291 responses were used for empirical analysis. It was found that both altruistic motivation and egoistic motivation have a positive effect on donors' attitudes toward donation. We further found that donation attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control all have a positive effect on donation intention. Moreover, the results showed three dimensions of trust in charitable organizations—perceived ability, perceived integrity, and perceived benevolence—positively influence donation attitudes and donation intention. This study's approach is significant because it considers both individual aspects and attributes of charitable organizations as factors leading to donation behavior. We believe that our findings are useful for developing effective fundraising strategies.

Altruistic and Egoistic Motivations of Male and Female Characters in Common Sense Media Television Programming for Children

Altruistic and Egoistic Motivations of Male and Female Characters in Common Sense Media Television Programming for Children

Analysis of the Main Stakeholders in the Development of China 's Inclusive Insurance

Objective The development of Inclusive Insurance is an important measure for the government to improve the level of catastrophic illness and improve the multi-level medical security system in China. Therefore, this paper is aimed at putting forward countermeasures and suggestions to promote the development of Inclusive Insurance by analyzing the main stakeholders involved. Method Based on the stakeholder theory, the stakeholders in the development of Inclusive Insurance were defined, and the driving and hindering factors of the development of Inclusive Insurance were clarified from the different demands of stakeholders. Conclusion Government departments, insurance institutions, and third-party platform companies are the main driving forces for the development of Inclusive Insurance, insured persons and medical institutions are the beneficiaries of the development of Inclusive Insurance, and pharmaceutical enterprises are potential promoters. However, the self-interest motivation of medical institutions may make it a resistance factor, and insurance institutions and insured persons are also easy to become a resistance factor when they suffer loss of interests. In this regard, in order to promote the formation of collaboration among multiple subjects and jointly promote the healthy and sustainable development of Inclusive Insurance, the following suggestions are put forward: establishing an effective data sharing mechanism to help insurance institutions achieve customer development and in-depth operation; clarifying the role of government functions and the boundaries of government and enterprise responsibilities to safeguard the rights and interests of insurance companies; using incentive tools to mobilize the enthusiasm of insurance institutions and the public; strengthening product publicity to establish a correct insurance awareness; making full use of the resources of pharmaceutical enterprises to further ensure the accessibility of patients ' medication.

Self-relevant appeals to engage in self-monitoring of alcohol use: A microrandomized trial.

While self-monitoring can help mitigate alcohol misuse in young adults, engagement with digital self-monitoring is suboptimal. The present study investigates the utility of two types of digital prompts (reminders) to encourage young adults to self-monitor their alcohol use. These prompts leverage information that is self-relevant (i.e., represents and is valuable) to the person. Five hundred ninety-one college students (Mage = 18; 61% = female, 76% = White) were enrolled in an 8-week intervention study involving biweekly digital self-monitoring of their alcohol use. At baseline, participants selected an item they would like to purchase for themselves and their preferred charitable organization. Then, biweekly, participants were microrandomized to a prompt highlighting the opportunity to either (a) win their preferred item (self-interest prompt); or (b) donate to their preferred charity (prosocial prompt). Following self-monitoring completion, participants allocated reward points toward lottery drawings for their preferred item or charity. The self-interest (vs. prosocial) prompt was significantly more effective in promoting proximal self-monitoring at the beginning of the study, Est = exp(.14) = 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.01, 1.29], whereas the prosocial (vs. self-interest) prompt was significantly more effective at the end, Est = exp(-.17) = 0.84; 95% CI [0.70, 0.98]. Further, the prosocial (vs. self-interest) prompt was significantly more effective among participants who previously allocated all their reward points to drawings for their preferred item, Est = exp(-.15) = 0.86; 95% CI [.75, .97]. These results suggest that the advantage of prompts that appeal to a person's self-interest (vs. prosocial) motives varies over time and based on what reward options participants prioritized in previous decisions. Theoretical and practical implications for intervention design are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).