Leadership Turnover and the Stability of Cooperation Standards in Teams

Participants take part in a repeated group decision task. Groups consist of three contributors and one leader. Contributors repeatedly choose costly effort in a team production setting. The leader observes information about contributors’ behavior and can assign sanctions subject to limits. The study varies whether the same leader remains assigned to the group in the second part of the task or whether a different leader is assigned.

2026-05-21

2026-12-31

Pilot:
• Implementation feasibility of the oTree experiment
• Correct group, role, phase, and leader assignment
• Correct payoff calculation and data export
• Session duration, completion rate, and comprehension check performance

Main study:
• Group level change in average contributor effort around the phase boundary

Pilot outcomes are feasibility outcomes and are not used to estimate the main treatment effect.

For the main study, average contributor effort is the mean effort of the three contributors in a group and round. The primary outcome is constructed at the group level as average contributor effort in rounds 11 to 13 minus average contributor effort in rounds 8 to 10.

Pilot data are excluded from the confirmatory main analysis.

• Full phase two change in average contributor effort
• Immediate round 11 change in average contributor effort
• Within group dispersion of contributor effort
• Sanctioning intensity
• Sanction targeting by performance signal
• Contributor payoffs

• Full phase two change: average contributor effort in rounds 11 to 20 minus average contributor effort in rounds 6 to 10
• Immediate round 11 change: average contributor effort in round 11 minus average contributor effort in rounds 8 to 10
• Within group dispersion: standard deviation of contributor effort within a group and round, averaged over the relevant window
• Sanctioning intensity: total sanction points assigned by the leader per group and round
• Sanction targeting: mean sanction points assigned to contributors by observed performance signal category
• Contributor payoffs: average contributor payoff at the group round level, reported before and after sanctions where applicable

The project is a laboratory experiment with a pilot stage followed by a planned main study. Participants interact in groups of four. Three participants repeatedly choose costly effort in a team production task, while one participant acts as leader. The interaction has two phases. The study varies whether the same leader remains assigned in the second phase or whether the group receives a different leader. The leader can assign sanctions after observing information about group performance. Pilot data will be used only for feasibility checks and will not be included in the confirmatory main analysis.

Not available

Computer randomization implemented in oTree during laboratory sessions.

There are two levels of randomization. First, participants are randomly assigned to groups of four and to roles within groups, with three contributors and one leader per group. Second, treatment assignment is at the group level: each contributor group is assigned to either the turnover condition or the control condition.

Yes

Currently planned main study: 40 contributor groups, with 20 groups assigned to control and 20 groups assigned to turnover. The final main study sample size may be revised after the pilot and before main study data collection, based on feasibility, session timing, dropout, payment range, implementation constraints, and power calibration. Pilot groups are used for feasibility checks only and are excluded from the confirmatory main analysis.

Currently planned main study: 160 participants, with four participants per contributor group. The final number of participants may be revised after the pilot and before main study data collection if feasibility or power calibration requires a change. Pilot participants are excluded from the confirmatory main analysis.

Currently planned main study: 20 contributor groups assigned to control and 20 contributor groups assigned to turnover. The final allocation may be revised after the pilot and before confirmatory main data collection. Any revision will be documented before the main study starts and will not be based on estimated treatment effects from the pilot.