Hannes Lang - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Hannes Lang
Food Security, 2020
The Growth Enhancement Scheme and e-voucher program, rolled out across Nigeria in 2011 by the fed... more The Growth Enhancement Scheme and e-voucher program, rolled out across Nigeria in 2011 by the federal government, provided the institutional basis for private agro-dealers to engage in the distribution of subsidized fertilizer, improved seeds and extension services to farmers. However, the impact of this policy on different modes of extension service delivery is still missing in literature. We apply an Ordinary Least Squared and Difference-in-Difference methodology on the (2010 and 2012) Living Standard Measurement Study of the World Bank. The results suggest that extension visitations as well as public extension services positively influence farm revenue. Furthermore, a substantial increase in fertilizer expenditure by farmers was observed, due to the e-voucher program, which could have contributed to the improved agricultural output witnessed in Nigeria post-Growth Enhancement Scheme era. Governments across Sub-Saharan Africa should implement policies that harness the economy of s...
Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little e... more Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little empirical or theoretical support. Multi-period models of criminal enforcement based on the standard economic approach of Becker (1968) generally find that the optimal penalty structure is either flat or declining. We experimentally test a two-stage theoretical model that predicts decreasing penalty structures will yield greater deterrence than increasing penalty structures. We find that decreasing fine structures are more effective at reducing risky behavior. Additionally, our econometric analyses reveal a number of behavioral findings. Subjects are deterred by past convictions, even though the probability of detection is independent across decisions. Further, subjects appear to take the two-stage nature of the decision making task into account, suggesting that subjects consider both current and future penalties. Even controlling for the fine a subject faces for any given decision, being in a decreasing fine structure has a significant effect on deterrence.
Berichte Uber Landwirtschaft, 2016
Im Kontext einer zunehmenden Weltbevolkerung, der steigenden Zahl hungernder Menschen, verscharft... more Im Kontext einer zunehmenden Weltbevolkerung, der steigenden Zahl hungernder Menschen, verscharfter Flachenkonkurrenz und dem Ziel des Klima- und Ressourcenschutzes, ist das Thema Lebensmittelverschwendung in Politik, Medien und Wissenschaft in den letzten Jahren zunehmend in den Fokus geruckt und wird derzeit auch in Deutschland intensiv diskutiert. In der offentlichen Diskussion herrscht Einigkeit daruber, dass eine Reduktion der Lebensmittelverluste entlang der gesamten Wertschopfungskette vom Produzenten bis zum Konsumenten hohe Prioritat hat, um genannten Problemen zu begegnen. Allerdings beziehen die Mehrzahl der wissenschaftlichen Studien und damit verbundene Losungswege die landwirtschaftliche Produktion nicht in ihren Untersuchungsumfang mit ein und lassen dabei auser Acht, dass ein groser Teil vermeidbarer Verluste bereits auf dem Feld und im Nacherntebereich entsteht, noch bevor die landwirtschaftlichen Erzeugnisse den Handel uberhaupt erreichen. Da wissenschaftliche Arb...
We explore the relationship between common psychological traits, such as Theory of the Mind, Rati... more We explore the relationship between common psychological traits, such as Theory of the Mind, Rational†Experiential Inventory, and Big Five Personality styles, and willingness to contribute to public goods. Then, motivated by research that has indicated a relationship between past social interactions and cooperativeness, we consider the interaction between past game outcomes and psychological traits on free riding. We show that psychological traits of individuals have both a direct effect on free riding behavior, as well as an indirect effect as it enhances the correlation between past strategic behavior and public goods giving. Thus, the measurement tools of social psychology and management can be beneficial in understanding individual†level differences in free riding.
The Journal of Economic Inequality, 2020
Ecosystem Services, 2019
Observed trade-offs between environmental conservation and poverty alleviation objectives continu... more Observed trade-offs between environmental conservation and poverty alleviation objectives continue to divide scholars on the ability of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs to simultaneously meet both objectives. The success of some PES programs shows it can attain "win-win" outcomes. Combining quantitative regression tools and narrative reviews, we synthesize the outcomes of 56 PES programs found in 69 studies conducted in 3 different continents to identify key factors that inform the "win-win" performance of PES programs. In addition to investigating PES in a "win-win" context, combining quantitative and qualitative methods underlines the novelty of our paper. We discovered that monitoring of program activities to ensure ecosystem services are supplied, and providing sufficient payments to ecosystem services providers enhance the performance of PES programs. Furthermore, programs become less effective with age, raising concerns about the longterm viability of PES programs. Our results underscore the need for payment incentives that covers costs and address location-specific constraints. The main lesson from our review is the importance of ex-ante assessments of prospective PES locations and the prior engagement with ES providers. This allows program developers to identify the interest of participating stakeholders in order to design cost-effective programs that capture local needs and interests.
Energy Policy, 2018
In Germany, the substitution of green electricity (GE) from renewable energy sources for nuclear ... more In Germany, the substitution of green electricity (GE) from renewable energy sources for nuclear and fossil electricity is politically intended, yet the demand for GE remains limited. This article provides empirical insight into factors influencing the decision of German small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt GE. Potentially relevant factors are identified through a review of the previous literature and investigated using logit model analyses based on a large-scale survey of German SMEs regarding GE adoption. We find that German SME decision-makers who have consciously decided to adopt GE characteristically have a high level of perceived environmental responsibility. The results also show that an SME's decision to adopt GE is influenced by decision-makers' perceptions of the sustainability, continual availability and price premium of GE. While investigating firms' characteristics, we found evidence that the likelihood of adoption is increased in microenterprises that have displayed pro-environmental behavior (other than GE adoption) in the past. Further, in considering an SME's sales market, customer appreciation of GE is a central determinant of adoption. Finally, our findings suggest that firms' lack of knowledge contributes to the low level of GE adoption. Using our findings, we provide research-based policy recommendations at the end of this paper.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015
Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little e... more Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little empirical or theoretical support. Multi-period models of criminal enforcement based on the standard economic approach of Becker (1968) generally find that the optimal penalty structure is either flat or declining. We experimentally test a two-stage theoretical model that predicts decreasing penalty structures will yield greater deterrence than increasing penalty structures. We find that decreasing fine structures are more effective at reducing risky behavior. Additionally, our econometric analyses reveal a number of behavioral findings. Subjects are deterred by past convictions, even though the probability of detection is independent across decisions. Further, subjects appear to take the two-stage nature of the decision making task into account, suggesting that subjects consider both current and future penalties. Even controlling for the fine a subject faces for any given decision, being in a decreasing fine structure has a significant effect on deterrence.
Games, 2018
Decreasing social sensitivity (i.e., the ability of a person to perceive, understand, and respect... more Decreasing social sensitivity (i.e., the ability of a person to perceive, understand, and respect the feelings and viewpoints of others), has been shown to facilitate selfish behavior. This is not only true for exogenous changes in social sensitivity, but also for social sensitivity influenced by someone's social cognition. In this analysis, we examined one measure of social cognition, namely a person's Theory of Mind (ToM), to examine differences in decision-making in standard non-strategic and strategic environments (dictator and ultimatum games). We found that participants with higher ToM gave a greater share in the non-strategic environment. In the ultimatum game, however, ToM showed no correlation with the offers of the ultimators. Instead, we found that general intelligence scores-measured by the Wonderlic test-shared a negative, albeit weak, correlation with the amount offered in the ultimatum game. Thus, we find that lower social cognition is an important explanatory variable for selfish behavior in a non-strategic environment, while general intelligence shares some correlation in a strategic environment. Similar to the change in social sensitivity created by a specific game design, social sensitivity influenced by individual personality traits can influence behavior in non-strategic environments.
Games
As the link between psychology and economics has grown, so too has research on the link between p... more As the link between psychology and economics has grown, so too has research on the link between personality traits and economic behavior. We build on this previous work, bringing to light the relationship between personality traits and contributions in a one-shot public goods game. We find that contributions to the public good are smaller for rational participants as measured by the Rational-Experiential Inventory-revised 40 (REI-40) item scale. We find no effect on contributions for the measures of the Big Five personality traits or the remaining measures from the REI-40.
Eastern Economic Journal, 2013
Food Security, 2020
The Growth Enhancement Scheme and e-voucher program, rolled out across Nigeria in 2011 by the fed... more The Growth Enhancement Scheme and e-voucher program, rolled out across Nigeria in 2011 by the federal government, provided the institutional basis for private agro-dealers to engage in the distribution of subsidized fertilizer, improved seeds and extension services to farmers. However, the impact of this policy on different modes of extension service delivery is still missing in literature. We apply an Ordinary Least Squared and Difference-in-Difference methodology on the (2010 and 2012) Living Standard Measurement Study of the World Bank. The results suggest that extension visitations as well as public extension services positively influence farm revenue. Furthermore, a substantial increase in fertilizer expenditure by farmers was observed, due to the e-voucher program, which could have contributed to the improved agricultural output witnessed in Nigeria post-Growth Enhancement Scheme era. Governments across Sub-Saharan Africa should implement policies that harness the economy of s...
Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little e... more Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little empirical or theoretical support. Multi-period models of criminal enforcement based on the standard economic approach of Becker (1968) generally find that the optimal penalty structure is either flat or declining. We experimentally test a two-stage theoretical model that predicts decreasing penalty structures will yield greater deterrence than increasing penalty structures. We find that decreasing fine structures are more effective at reducing risky behavior. Additionally, our econometric analyses reveal a number of behavioral findings. Subjects are deterred by past convictions, even though the probability of detection is independent across decisions. Further, subjects appear to take the two-stage nature of the decision making task into account, suggesting that subjects consider both current and future penalties. Even controlling for the fine a subject faces for any given decision, being in a decreasing fine structure has a significant effect on deterrence.
Berichte Uber Landwirtschaft, 2016
Im Kontext einer zunehmenden Weltbevolkerung, der steigenden Zahl hungernder Menschen, verscharft... more Im Kontext einer zunehmenden Weltbevolkerung, der steigenden Zahl hungernder Menschen, verscharfter Flachenkonkurrenz und dem Ziel des Klima- und Ressourcenschutzes, ist das Thema Lebensmittelverschwendung in Politik, Medien und Wissenschaft in den letzten Jahren zunehmend in den Fokus geruckt und wird derzeit auch in Deutschland intensiv diskutiert. In der offentlichen Diskussion herrscht Einigkeit daruber, dass eine Reduktion der Lebensmittelverluste entlang der gesamten Wertschopfungskette vom Produzenten bis zum Konsumenten hohe Prioritat hat, um genannten Problemen zu begegnen. Allerdings beziehen die Mehrzahl der wissenschaftlichen Studien und damit verbundene Losungswege die landwirtschaftliche Produktion nicht in ihren Untersuchungsumfang mit ein und lassen dabei auser Acht, dass ein groser Teil vermeidbarer Verluste bereits auf dem Feld und im Nacherntebereich entsteht, noch bevor die landwirtschaftlichen Erzeugnisse den Handel uberhaupt erreichen. Da wissenschaftliche Arb...
We explore the relationship between common psychological traits, such as Theory of the Mind, Rati... more We explore the relationship between common psychological traits, such as Theory of the Mind, Rational†Experiential Inventory, and Big Five Personality styles, and willingness to contribute to public goods. Then, motivated by research that has indicated a relationship between past social interactions and cooperativeness, we consider the interaction between past game outcomes and psychological traits on free riding. We show that psychological traits of individuals have both a direct effect on free riding behavior, as well as an indirect effect as it enhances the correlation between past strategic behavior and public goods giving. Thus, the measurement tools of social psychology and management can be beneficial in understanding individual†level differences in free riding.
The Journal of Economic Inequality, 2020
Ecosystem Services, 2019
Observed trade-offs between environmental conservation and poverty alleviation objectives continu... more Observed trade-offs between environmental conservation and poverty alleviation objectives continue to divide scholars on the ability of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs to simultaneously meet both objectives. The success of some PES programs shows it can attain "win-win" outcomes. Combining quantitative regression tools and narrative reviews, we synthesize the outcomes of 56 PES programs found in 69 studies conducted in 3 different continents to identify key factors that inform the "win-win" performance of PES programs. In addition to investigating PES in a "win-win" context, combining quantitative and qualitative methods underlines the novelty of our paper. We discovered that monitoring of program activities to ensure ecosystem services are supplied, and providing sufficient payments to ecosystem services providers enhance the performance of PES programs. Furthermore, programs become less effective with age, raising concerns about the longterm viability of PES programs. Our results underscore the need for payment incentives that covers costs and address location-specific constraints. The main lesson from our review is the importance of ex-ante assessments of prospective PES locations and the prior engagement with ES providers. This allows program developers to identify the interest of participating stakeholders in order to design cost-effective programs that capture local needs and interests.
Energy Policy, 2018
In Germany, the substitution of green electricity (GE) from renewable energy sources for nuclear ... more In Germany, the substitution of green electricity (GE) from renewable energy sources for nuclear and fossil electricity is politically intended, yet the demand for GE remains limited. This article provides empirical insight into factors influencing the decision of German small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt GE. Potentially relevant factors are identified through a review of the previous literature and investigated using logit model analyses based on a large-scale survey of German SMEs regarding GE adoption. We find that German SME decision-makers who have consciously decided to adopt GE characteristically have a high level of perceived environmental responsibility. The results also show that an SME's decision to adopt GE is influenced by decision-makers' perceptions of the sustainability, continual availability and price premium of GE. While investigating firms' characteristics, we found evidence that the likelihood of adoption is increased in microenterprises that have displayed pro-environmental behavior (other than GE adoption) in the past. Further, in considering an SME's sales market, customer appreciation of GE is a central determinant of adoption. Finally, our findings suggest that firms' lack of knowledge contributes to the low level of GE adoption. Using our findings, we provide research-based policy recommendations at the end of this paper.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015
Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little e... more Increasing penalty structures for repeat offenses are ubiquitous in penal codes, despite little empirical or theoretical support. Multi-period models of criminal enforcement based on the standard economic approach of Becker (1968) generally find that the optimal penalty structure is either flat or declining. We experimentally test a two-stage theoretical model that predicts decreasing penalty structures will yield greater deterrence than increasing penalty structures. We find that decreasing fine structures are more effective at reducing risky behavior. Additionally, our econometric analyses reveal a number of behavioral findings. Subjects are deterred by past convictions, even though the probability of detection is independent across decisions. Further, subjects appear to take the two-stage nature of the decision making task into account, suggesting that subjects consider both current and future penalties. Even controlling for the fine a subject faces for any given decision, being in a decreasing fine structure has a significant effect on deterrence.
Games, 2018
Decreasing social sensitivity (i.e., the ability of a person to perceive, understand, and respect... more Decreasing social sensitivity (i.e., the ability of a person to perceive, understand, and respect the feelings and viewpoints of others), has been shown to facilitate selfish behavior. This is not only true for exogenous changes in social sensitivity, but also for social sensitivity influenced by someone's social cognition. In this analysis, we examined one measure of social cognition, namely a person's Theory of Mind (ToM), to examine differences in decision-making in standard non-strategic and strategic environments (dictator and ultimatum games). We found that participants with higher ToM gave a greater share in the non-strategic environment. In the ultimatum game, however, ToM showed no correlation with the offers of the ultimators. Instead, we found that general intelligence scores-measured by the Wonderlic test-shared a negative, albeit weak, correlation with the amount offered in the ultimatum game. Thus, we find that lower social cognition is an important explanatory variable for selfish behavior in a non-strategic environment, while general intelligence shares some correlation in a strategic environment. Similar to the change in social sensitivity created by a specific game design, social sensitivity influenced by individual personality traits can influence behavior in non-strategic environments.
Games
As the link between psychology and economics has grown, so too has research on the link between p... more As the link between psychology and economics has grown, so too has research on the link between personality traits and economic behavior. We build on this previous work, bringing to light the relationship between personality traits and contributions in a one-shot public goods game. We find that contributions to the public good are smaller for rational participants as measured by the Rational-Experiential Inventory-revised 40 (REI-40) item scale. We find no effect on contributions for the measures of the Big Five personality traits or the remaining measures from the REI-40.
Eastern Economic Journal, 2013