Financial disasters--and stories of the greedy bankers who
precipitated them--seem to underscore the idea that self-interest will
always trump concerns for the greater good. Indeed, this idea is
supported by the prevailing theories in both economics and
evolutionary biology. But is it valid? In What Price the Moral High
Ground?, economist and social critic Robert Frank challenges the
notion that doing well is accomplished only at the expense of doing
good. Frank explores exciting new work in economics, psychology, and
biology to argue that honest individuals often succeed, even in highly
competitive environments, because their commitment to principle makes
them more attractive as trading partners. Drawing on research he has
conducted and published over the past decade, Frank challenges the
familiar homo economicus stereotype by describing how people create
bonds that sustain cooperation in one-shot prisoner's dilemmas. He
goes on to describe how people often choose modestly paid positions in
the public and nonprofit sectors over comparable, higher-paying jobs
in the for-profit sector; how studying economics appears to inhibit
cooperation; how social norms often deter opportunistic behavior; how
a given charitable organization manages to appeal to donors with
seemingly incompatible motives; how concerns about status and fairness
affect salaries in organizations; and how socially responsible firms
often prosper despite the higher costs associated with their business
practices. Frank's arguments have important implications for the
conduct of leaders in private as well as public life. Tossing aside
the model of the self-interested homo economicus, Frank provides a
tool for understanding how to better structure organizations, public
policies, and even our own lives.
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How to Succeed without Selling Your Soul
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781400833917
Publisert
2014
Utgiver
Vendor
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Antall sider
224
Forfatter