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I’ll be there: Promises in the field

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  • Rong, Rong
  • Barton, Jared

Abstract

As promises are non-binding, they can be either fulfilled or broken. Previous lab and field research mostly examines the factors that explain fulfillment, as promising itself is difficult to randomly assign. We design a novel natural field experiment where subtle changes of words in an invitation email shifts the level of promise making among our subjects to test the causal effect of promises. Promises are positively related to experimental attendance, and using the invitation treatment as an instrumental variable, we recover a positive but imprecisely measured causal impact of promise making on behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Rong, Rong & Barton, Jared, 2021. "I’ll be there: Promises in the field," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 20-26.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:166:y:2021:i:c:p:20-26
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.03.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Promise making; Promise fulfillment; Field experiment; Personality; Commitment-based model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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