Leading by Example in Public Goods Experiments: What Do We Know?

This review aims at exploring main results of leading-by-example in public goods experiments. Based on a systematic literature analysis, I examine whether leadership increases contributions to a public good. Moreover, I outline factors that foster or impede leadership success. To understand how leadership becomes effective, followers' reactions as well as leadership behavior are examined in more detail. Besides classical linear summation technology public goods games, I also consider weakest-link, threshold and summation technology public goods games with predicted interior equilibrium and field experiments. Finally, I briefly discuss the external validity in the context of global public goods.