We use U.S. eBay data to investigate how trade is influenced by differences in socioeconomic characteristics, tastes, and trust. States' similarity in cultural characteristics (ethnicity, religious affiliations, and political behavior) is predictive of online trade; cultural similarity similarly...

Quality certification programs are used to improve consumers’ ability to identify high-quality products or sellers in markets with information asymmetries. Using data from eBay UK’s online marketplace, we study how certification’s benefits vary with market- and seller-level attributes,...

Consumers respond positively to products tied to charity, particularly from sellers that are relatively new and hence have limited alternative means for assuring quality. We establish this result using data from a diverse group of eBay sellers who individually “experiment” with charity by...

To study whether consumers will pay more for products that generate charitable donations, we analyze data from eBay on charity and non-charity auctions of otherwise identical products. Charity prices are 6% greater, on average, than non-charity prices. Bids below the closing price are also...

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- Preface to the Paperback Edition -- Introduction: A Machine for Getting Stuff Done -- CHAPTER 1: The Outsider -- CHAPTER 2: Designing the Job -- CHAPTER 3: Putting Together the Organizational Puzzle -- CHAPTER 4: In Praise of Squelching Innovation -- CHAPTER 5: What...