Collective action

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Collective action ( Engl. Collective action ) exists to act when several people targeted in a common context of action. The term is used in sociology and economics . Here the term occurs, for example, in connection with the New Political Economy or Collective Action Clause .

Terminus

The term "collective action" is a borrowing of (Engl.) Collective action and is based on the work of Mancur Olson usually on investigations under the perspective of the theory of rational decision ( rational choice used). In sociology, in addition to the concept of social action , which goes back to Max Weber , there are also approaches that speak of “ collective behavior ”, for example in the field of the theoretical analysis of social movements .

Economics

The use of the concept of collective action may be possible . a. back to the economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto . Mancur Olson generally worked out the concept. The basic problem is that in the context of Olson's model economically rational individuals have no interest in participating in the creation of a collective good, even if they would benefit from it like everyone else after creation.

The transaction costs (i.e., above all, the costs of organizing collective action ) for a majority in striving for a goal that ultimately brings little benefit to the individual (or more precisely, a public good) are therefore much higher than those of a small minority when striving for one such is of great benefit through collective action . In certain contexts this is also referred to as a social dilemma . This is because in the first case the benefits are shared among many people, while in the second case only a few benefit from it.

Another problem of collective action lies in the fact that the use of the public good obtained can be excluded by those who do not participate in the acquisition of the same. In the first case, under certain conditions, there is an incentive to break out and not participate in the collective action, since the contribution of the individual is small and he weighs his costs against the benefits that he receives anyway if he is successful. This is called the free rider problem .

More recent models of collective action are from Robert Axelrod , who deals with the evolution of cooperation , and from Elinor Ostrom , who empirically studies the use of natural resources in the form of the common land .

In August 2019, a group led by Joachim Weimann published a study in the European Economic Review that takes up Mancur Olson's theory and provides empirical evidence that speaks against Olson's hypothesis. The university's press release states:

Instead, it turned out that something was crucial for members of large groups that had previously not been considered in research on cooperation issues: In fact, it is less the absolute value of the individual contribution than the relation between it and the importance of the Single in a group. If people see a visible advantage for the group in their contribution, this creates collective behavior: My own cooperation helps others; the cooperation of the others benefits me.

Example from the economic theory of trade

This concept for economic policy decisions can be explained using the example of the pros and cons of customs barriers. The cost of tariffs e.g. B. for staple foods are passed on to prices so that all consumers are affected. In contrast, the companies in the protected industry benefit disproportionately from the tariffs. This gives you a price advantage on the domestic market and will lobby for such protection accordingly .

However, here too there is often an incentive for said free rider problem , i. H. someone reaps the full benefit without participating in collective action - in this case lobbying.

See also

literature

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  1. ^ Neil J. Smelser : Theory of collective behavior. Press of Glencoe, 1967.
  2. ↑ Joachim Weimann, Jeannette Brosig-Koch, Timo Heinrich, Heike Hennig-Schmidt, Claudia Keser: Public good provision by large groups - the logic of collective action revisited . In: European Economic Review . tape 118 , September 1, 2019, ISSN  0014-2921 , p. 348–363 , doi : 10.1016 / j.euroecorev.2019.05.019 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed July 8, 2020]).
  3. ↑ Experimental economists carry out the largest laboratory test in economic research. Retrieved June 28, 2020 .