Ethics initiatives are commonly used by organizations to influence members’ behavior with the expressed goal of aligning the behavior exhibited in the organization with the organization's stated rules and values ( Laufer & Robertson, 1997 ; Schwartz, 2002 ; Tenbrunsel, Smith-Crowe, & Umphress,...

A social identity analysis, based on Hogg's (2000) uncertainty reduction theory, of the emergence and maintenance of ideological belief systems is presented. Uncertainty, particularly self-uncertainty, motivates identification with high-entitativity groups and behaviors that promote...

This chapter outlines a new approach to measuring peer influence on the choice of a young person to smoke cigarettes. The methodology is based on estimating an equilibrium discrete choice model in which the relative benefit to smoking is increasing in the fraction of peers who smoke. In contrast...

This chapter organizes the other chapters of the volume around a fundamental status-affirmation principle, namely, that status differentials generate corresponding differences in performance expectations which, in turn, produce behaviors that affirm performance expectations. The chapters in this...

In the current chapter, we examine people's perceptions of their place in hierarchies. We explore the complexity of these self-perceptions and show how they are susceptible to inaccuracy and bias. We examine how such inaccuracies, however, can lead to negative social consequences: Overestimating...

This paper aims to clarify the similarities and differences between the concepts of bi-polarization and inequality by proposing an extended measure of bi-polarization, which is consistent with the second polarization curve. The standard decomposition property of population subgroups for the Gini...

The paper examines social welfare of and inequality within a finite homogeneous population consisting of identical individuals. These individuals form groups. All members of a group possess the same income; groups may differ in size and per-capita income. The framework is a generalization of the...

Peer effects can lead to better financial outcomes or help propagate financial mistakes across social networks. Using unique data on peer relationships and portfolio composition, we show considerable overlap in investment portfolios when an investor recommends their brokerage to a peer. We argue...