---
_id: '63908'
article_number: '105189'
author:
- first_name: Behnud
full_name: Mir Djawadi, Behnud
id: '26032'
last_name: Mir Djawadi
orcid: 0000-0002-6271-5912
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Plaß, Sabrina
id: '34502'
last_name: Plaß
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Loer, Sabrina
id: '38794'
last_name: Loer
citation:
ama: 'Mir Djawadi B, Plaß S, Loer S. “I don’t believe that you believe what I believe”:
an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and whistleblowing. European
Economic Review. 2025;180. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189'
apa: 'Mir Djawadi, B., Plaß, S., & Loer, S. (2025). “I don’t believe that you
believe what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and whistleblowing.
European Economic Review, 180, Article 105189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189'
bibtex: '@article{Mir Djawadi_Plaß_Loer_2025, title={“I don’t believe that you believe
what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and whistleblowing},
volume={180}, DOI={10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189},
number={105189}, journal={European Economic Review}, publisher={Elsevier BV},
author={Mir Djawadi, Behnud and Plaß, Sabrina and Loer, Sabrina}, year={2025}
}'
chicago: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, Sabrina Plaß, and Sabrina Loer. “‘I Don’t Believe
That You Believe What I Believe’: An Experiment on Misperceptions of Social Norms
and Whistleblowing.” European Economic Review 180 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189.'
ieee: 'B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, and S. Loer, “‘I don’t believe that you believe
what I believe’: an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and whistleblowing,”
European Economic Review, vol. 180, Art. no. 105189, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189.'
mla: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, et al. “‘I Don’t Believe That You Believe What I Believe’:
An Experiment on Misperceptions of Social Norms and Whistleblowing.” European
Economic Review, vol. 180, 105189, Elsevier BV, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189.'
short: B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, S. Loer, European Economic Review 180 (2025).
date_created: 2026-02-06T13:49:41Z
date_updated: 2026-03-27T16:06:34Z
department:
- _id: '179'
doi: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105189
intvolume: ' 180'
language:
- iso: eng
publication: European Economic Review
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 0014-2921
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
status: public
title: '“I don’t believe that you believe what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions
of social norms and whistleblowing'
type: journal_article
user_id: '26032'
volume: 180
year: '2025'
...
---
_id: '63911'
author:
- first_name: Behnud
full_name: Mir Djawadi, Behnud
id: '26032'
last_name: Mir Djawadi
orcid: 0000-0002-6271-5912
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Plaß, Sabrina
id: '34502'
last_name: Plaß
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Loer, Sabrina
id: '38794'
last_name: Loer
citation:
ama: 'Mir Djawadi B, Plaß S, Loer S. Social Information Interventions under Competing
Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing Experiment. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Published online 2025. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248'
apa: 'Mir Djawadi, B., Plaß, S., & Loer, S. (2025). Social Information Interventions
under Competing Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing Experiment. SSRN Electronic
Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248'
bibtex: '@article{Mir Djawadi_Plaß_Loer_2025, title={Social Information Interventions
under Competing Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing Experiment}, DOI={http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248},
journal={SSRN Electronic Journal}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Mir Djawadi,
Behnud and Plaß, Sabrina and Loer, Sabrina}, year={2025} }'
chicago: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, Sabrina Plaß, and Sabrina Loer. “Social Information
Interventions under Competing Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing Experiment.”
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2025. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248.'
ieee: 'B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, and S. Loer, “Social Information Interventions under
Competing Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing Experiment,” SSRN Electronic
Journal, 2025, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248.'
mla: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, et al. “Social Information Interventions under Competing
Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing Experiment.” SSRN Electronic Journal,
Elsevier BV, 2025, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248.'
short: B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, S. Loer, SSRN Electronic Journal (2025).
date_created: 2026-02-06T13:54:00Z
date_updated: 2026-03-27T21:51:21Z
department:
- _id: '179'
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5345248
language:
- iso: eng
publication: SSRN Electronic Journal
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
status: public
title: 'Social Information Interventions under Competing Norms: Evidence from a Whistleblowing
Experiment'
type: journal_article
user_id: '26032'
year: '2025'
...
---
_id: '59520'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'Normative expectations – beliefs about what others perceive as appropriate
– have been shown to influence behavioural choices across various domains. We
examine this concept in the context of whistleblowing, where potential whistleblowers
face two competing norms: promoting fairness by reporting wrongdoing versus maintaining
loyalty to peers by staying silent. We investigate how normative expectations
about these two mutually exclusive actions affect reporting decisions. Specifically,
we test whether providing information on the majority beliefs about either the
appropriateness of whistleblowing, or of staying silent, or about both behaviours
together, differentially affects the whistleblowing decision. Using an incentivized
experiment with UK employees on Prolific, our study yields four key findings:
First, employees are more likely to report misconduct when they believe that the
majority considers whistleblowing to be appropriate. Second, they are less likely
to blow the whistle when they believe staying silent is deemed appropriate. Third,
this effect prevails for a particularly important subgroup: among employees who
believe that the majority supports whistleblowing, the reporting probability increases
substantially when they simultaneously expect that staying silent is deemed inappropriate.
Fourth, providing information about both normative dimensions combined or only
about the inappropriateness of staying silent significantly increases whistleblowing
compared to the (no information) baseline and to information about whistleblowing
appropriateness alone. These findings demonstrate the importance of normative
expectations about both behavioural options for accurately predicting whistleblowing
behaviour, and that social information interventions are most effective when they
target behaviours where appropriateness beliefs about conflicting options are
dispersed. '
author:
- first_name: Behnud
full_name: Mir Djawadi, Behnud
id: '26032'
last_name: Mir Djawadi
orcid: 0000-0002-6271-5912
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Plaß, Sabrina
id: '34502'
last_name: Plaß
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Loer, Sabrina
id: '38794'
last_name: Loer
citation:
ama: Mir Djawadi B, Plaß S, Loer S. Multiple Normative Expectations and Interventions
-Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour.; 2024.
apa: Mir Djawadi, B., Plaß, S., & Loer, S. (2024). Multiple Normative Expectations
and Interventions -Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour.
bibtex: '@book{Mir Djawadi_Plaß_Loer_2024, title={Multiple Normative Expectations
and Interventions -Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour}, author={Mir
Djawadi, Behnud and Plaß, Sabrina and Loer, Sabrina}, year={2024} }'
chicago: Mir Djawadi, Behnud, Sabrina Plaß, and Sabrina Loer. Multiple Normative
Expectations and Interventions -Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour,
2024.
ieee: B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, and S. Loer, Multiple Normative Expectations and
Interventions -Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour. 2024.
mla: Mir Djawadi, Behnud, et al. Multiple Normative Expectations and Interventions
-Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour. 2024.
short: B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, S. Loer, Multiple Normative Expectations and Interventions
-Experimental Evidence on Whistleblowing Behaviour, 2024.
date_created: 2025-04-11T14:02:17Z
date_updated: 2025-04-11T19:30:45Z
keyword:
- Whistleblowing
- Normative Expectations
- Social Information Intervention
- Social Norms
- Economic Experiment
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: file:///C:/Users/splass/Downloads/ssrn-5176305.pdf
oa: '1'
status: public
title: Multiple Normative Expectations and Interventions -Experimental Evidence on
Whistleblowing Behaviour
type: working_paper
user_id: '34502'
year: '2024'
...
---
_id: '59521'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'Social norms fundamentally shape economic decision-making, yet individuals
often systematically misperceive what others think and do, potentially leading
to suboptimal social outcomes. We examine how such misperceptions affect behaviour
and whether correcting them can induce a behavioural change, using whistleblowing
as an application. Through survey data and an incentivized laboratory experiment,
we demonstrate that while a majority of individuals (>75%) privately support whistleblowing,
almost half (45.92%) misperceive the majority’s view. Both personal normative
beliefs and normative expectations strongly predict whistleblowing behaviour.
Their alignment is particularly noteworthy: individuals who personally support
whistleblowing are more likely to report misconduct when they believe others share
their views. A social information intervention revealing the true distribution
of peer support affects subgroups differently: while it increases whistleblowing
behaviour among individuals who already personally favour reporting misconduct,
there is no effect among those who are personally resistant to it. Still, given
the relatively low cost of such social information interventions, they offer an
economically viable means of achieving behavioural change in at least some of
the targeted individuals. '
author:
- first_name: Behnud
full_name: Mir Djawadi, Behnud
id: '26032'
last_name: Mir Djawadi
orcid: 0000-0002-6271-5912
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Plaß, Sabrina
id: '34502'
last_name: Plaß
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Loer, Sabrina
id: '38794'
last_name: Loer
citation:
ama: 'Mir Djawadi B, Plaß S, Loer S. “I Don’t Believe That You Believe What I
Believe”: An Experiment on Misperceptions of Social Norms and Whistleblowing.;
2024.'
apa: 'Mir Djawadi, B., Plaß, S., & Loer, S. (2024). “I don’t believe that
you believe what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and
whistleblowing.'
bibtex: '@book{Mir Djawadi_Plaß_Loer_2024, title={“I don’t believe that you believe
what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and whistleblowing},
author={Mir Djawadi, Behnud and Plaß, Sabrina and Loer, Sabrina}, year={2024}
}'
chicago: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, Sabrina Plaß, and Sabrina Loer. “I Don’t Believe
That You Believe What I Believe”: An Experiment on Misperceptions of Social Norms
and Whistleblowing, 2024.'
ieee: 'B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, and S. Loer, “I don’t believe that you believe
what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions of social norms and whistleblowing.
2024.'
mla: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, et al. “I Don’t Believe That You Believe What I Believe”:
An Experiment on Misperceptions of Social Norms and Whistleblowing. 2024.'
short: 'B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, S. Loer, “I Don’t Believe That You Believe What
I Believe”: An Experiment on Misperceptions of Social Norms and Whistleblowing,
2024.'
date_created: 2025-04-11T14:05:03Z
date_updated: 2025-04-11T19:30:59Z
keyword:
- Social Norms
- Normative Expectations
- Personal Normative Belief
- Misperceptions
- Whistleblowing
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: file:///C:/Users/splass/Downloads/ssrn-4868252-2.pdf
oa: '1'
status: public
title: '“I don’t believe that you believe what I believe”: an experiment on misperceptions
of social norms and whistleblowing'
type: working_paper
user_id: '34502'
year: '2024'
...
---
_id: '45880'
author:
- first_name: Alina
full_name: Elrich, Alina
id: '28948'
last_name: Elrich
- first_name: Daniel
full_name: Kaimann, Daniel
id: '18949'
last_name: Kaimann
- first_name: René
full_name: Fahr, René
id: '111'
last_name: Fahr
- first_name: Dennis
full_name: Kundisch, Dennis
id: '21117'
last_name: Kundisch
- first_name: Behnud
full_name: Mir Djawadi, Behnud
id: '26032'
last_name: Mir Djawadi
orcid: 0000-0002-6271-5912
- first_name: Michelle
full_name: Müller, Michelle
id: '50286'
last_name: Müller
- first_name: Martin
full_name: Poniatowski, Martin
id: '32441'
last_name: Poniatowski
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Schäfers, Sabrina
id: '38794'
last_name: Schäfers
- first_name: Bernd
full_name: Frick, Bernd
id: '16019'
last_name: Frick
citation:
ama: 'Elrich A, Kaimann D, Fahr R, et al. Empirical Analysis in Markets for OTF
Services. In: Haake C-J, Meyer auf der Heide F, Platzner M, Wachsmuth H, Wehrheim
H, eds. On-The-Fly Computing -- Individualized IT-Services in Dynamic Markets.
Vol 412. Verlagsschriftenreihe des Heinz Nixdorf Instituts. Heinz Nixdorf Institut,
Universität Paderborn; 2023:45-64. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8068430'
apa: Elrich, A., Kaimann, D., Fahr, R., Kundisch, D., Mir Djawadi, B., Müller, M.,
Poniatowski, M., Schäfers, S., & Frick, B. (2023). Empirical Analysis in Markets
for OTF Services. In C.-J. Haake, F. Meyer auf der Heide, M. Platzner, H. Wachsmuth,
& H. Wehrheim (Eds.), On-The-Fly Computing -- Individualized IT-services
in dynamic markets (Vol. 412, pp. 45–64). Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität
Paderborn. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8068430
bibtex: '@inbook{Elrich_Kaimann_Fahr_Kundisch_Mir Djawadi_Müller_Poniatowski_Schäfers_Frick_2023,
place={Paderborn}, series={Verlagsschriftenreihe des Heinz Nixdorf Instituts},
title={Empirical Analysis in Markets for OTF Services}, volume={412}, DOI={10.5281/zenodo.8068430}, booktitle={On-The-Fly
Computing -- Individualized IT-services in dynamic markets}, publisher={Heinz
Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn}, author={Elrich, Alina and Kaimann, Daniel
and Fahr, René and Kundisch, Dennis and Mir Djawadi, Behnud and Müller, Michelle
and Poniatowski, Martin and Schäfers, Sabrina and Frick, Bernd}, editor={Haake,
Claus-Jochen and Meyer auf der Heide, Friedhelm and Platzner, Marco and Wachsmuth,
Henning and Wehrheim, Heike}, year={2023}, pages={45–64}, collection={Verlagsschriftenreihe
des Heinz Nixdorf Instituts} }'
chicago: 'Elrich, Alina, Daniel Kaimann, René Fahr, Dennis Kundisch, Behnud Mir
Djawadi, Michelle Müller, Martin Poniatowski, Sabrina Schäfers, and Bernd Frick.
“Empirical Analysis in Markets for OTF Services.” In On-The-Fly Computing --
Individualized IT-Services in Dynamic Markets, edited by Claus-Jochen Haake,
Friedhelm Meyer auf der Heide, Marco Platzner, Henning Wachsmuth, and Heike Wehrheim,
412:45–64. Verlagsschriftenreihe Des Heinz Nixdorf Instituts. Paderborn: Heinz
Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn, 2023. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8068430.'
ieee: 'A. Elrich et al., “Empirical Analysis in Markets for OTF Services,”
in On-The-Fly Computing -- Individualized IT-services in dynamic markets,
vol. 412, C.-J. Haake, F. Meyer auf der Heide, M. Platzner, H. Wachsmuth, and
H. Wehrheim, Eds. Paderborn: Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn, 2023,
pp. 45–64.'
mla: Elrich, Alina, et al. “Empirical Analysis in Markets for OTF Services.” On-The-Fly
Computing -- Individualized IT-Services in Dynamic Markets, edited by Claus-Jochen
Haake et al., vol. 412, Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn, 2023, pp.
45–64, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8068430.
short: 'A. Elrich, D. Kaimann, R. Fahr, D. Kundisch, B. Mir Djawadi, M. Müller,
M. Poniatowski, S. Schäfers, B. Frick, in: C.-J. Haake, F. Meyer auf der Heide,
M. Platzner, H. Wachsmuth, H. Wehrheim (Eds.), On-The-Fly Computing -- Individualized
IT-Services in Dynamic Markets, Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn,
Paderborn, 2023, pp. 45–64.'
date_created: 2023-07-07T07:15:06Z
date_updated: 2023-07-12T07:25:55Z
ddc:
- '004'
department:
- _id: '19'
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.8068430
editor:
- first_name: Claus-Jochen
full_name: Haake, Claus-Jochen
last_name: Haake
- first_name: Friedhelm
full_name: Meyer auf der Heide, Friedhelm
last_name: Meyer auf der Heide
- first_name: Marco
full_name: Platzner, Marco
last_name: Platzner
- first_name: Henning
full_name: Wachsmuth, Henning
last_name: Wachsmuth
- first_name: Heike
full_name: Wehrheim, Heike
last_name: Wehrheim
file:
- access_level: open_access
content_type: application/pdf
creator: florida
date_created: 2023-07-07T07:14:49Z
date_updated: 2023-07-07T11:22:39Z
file_id: '45881'
file_name: A4-Chapter-SFB-Buch-Final.pdf
file_size: 513106
relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2023-07-07T11:22:39Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 412'
language:
- iso: eng
oa: '1'
page: 45-64
place: Paderborn
project:
- _id: '1'
grant_number: '160364472'
name: 'SFB 901: SFB 901: On-The-Fly Computing - Individualisierte IT-Dienstleistungen
in dynamischen Märkten '
- _id: '2'
name: 'SFB 901 - A: SFB 901 - Project Area A'
- _id: '8'
grant_number: '160364472'
name: 'SFB 901 - A4: SFB 901 - Empirische Analysen in Märkten für OTF Dienstleistungen
(Subproject A4)'
publication: On-The-Fly Computing -- Individualized IT-services in dynamic markets
publisher: Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn
series_title: Verlagsschriftenreihe des Heinz Nixdorf Instituts
status: public
title: Empirical Analysis in Markets for OTF Services
type: book_chapter
user_id: '15504'
volume: 412
year: '2023'
...
---
_id: '46088'
author:
- first_name: Behnud
full_name: Mir Djawadi, Behnud
id: '26032'
last_name: Mir Djawadi
orcid: 0000-0002-6271-5912
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Plaß, Sabrina
id: '34502'
last_name: Plaß
- first_name: Sabrina
full_name: Schäfers, Sabrina
id: '38794'
last_name: Schäfers
citation:
ama: 'Mir Djawadi B, Plaß S, Schäfers S. Peers: Powerful or Negligible? A Systematic
Review on Peer Factors and Internal Whistleblowing. In: Gabbioneta C, Clemente
M, Greenwood R, eds. Organizational Wrongdoing as the “Foundational” Grand
Challenge: Consequences and Impact. Vol 85. Research in the Sociology of Organizations.
Emerald Publishing Limited; 2023:73-100. doi:10.1108/s0733-558x20230000085005'
apa: 'Mir Djawadi, B., Plaß, S., & Schäfers, S. (2023). Peers: Powerful or Negligible?
A Systematic Review on Peer Factors and Internal Whistleblowing. In C. Gabbioneta,
M. Clemente, & R. Greenwood (Eds.), Organizational Wrongdoing as the “Foundational”
Grand Challenge: Consequences and Impact (Vol. 85, pp. 73–100). Emerald Publishing
Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/s0733-558x20230000085005'
bibtex: '@inbook{Mir Djawadi_Plaß_Schäfers_2023, place={Bingley}, series={Research
in the Sociology of Organizations}, title={Peers: Powerful or Negligible? A Systematic
Review on Peer Factors and Internal Whistleblowing}, volume={85}, DOI={10.1108/s0733-558x20230000085005},
booktitle={Organizational Wrongdoing as the “Foundational” Grand Challenge: Consequences
and Impact}, publisher={Emerald Publishing Limited}, author={Mir Djawadi, Behnud
and Plaß, Sabrina and Schäfers, Sabrina}, editor={Gabbioneta, Claudia and Clemente,
Marco and Greenwood, Royston}, year={2023}, pages={73–100}, collection={Research
in the Sociology of Organizations} }'
chicago: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, Sabrina Plaß, and Sabrina Schäfers. “Peers: Powerful
or Negligible? A Systematic Review on Peer Factors and Internal Whistleblowing.”
In Organizational Wrongdoing as the “Foundational” Grand Challenge: Consequences
and Impact, edited by Claudia Gabbioneta, Marco Clemente, and Royston Greenwood,
85:73–100. Research in the Sociology of Organizations. Bingley: Emerald Publishing
Limited, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/s0733-558x20230000085005.'
ieee: 'B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, and S. Schäfers, “Peers: Powerful or Negligible?
A Systematic Review on Peer Factors and Internal Whistleblowing,” in Organizational
Wrongdoing as the “Foundational” Grand Challenge: Consequences and Impact,
vol. 85, C. Gabbioneta, M. Clemente, and R. Greenwood, Eds. Bingley: Emerald Publishing
Limited, 2023, pp. 73–100.'
mla: 'Mir Djawadi, Behnud, et al. “Peers: Powerful or Negligible? A Systematic Review
on Peer Factors and Internal Whistleblowing.” Organizational Wrongdoing as
the “Foundational” Grand Challenge: Consequences and Impact, edited by Claudia
Gabbioneta et al., vol. 85, Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023, pp. 73–100, doi:10.1108/s0733-558x20230000085005.'
short: 'B. Mir Djawadi, S. Plaß, S. Schäfers, in: C. Gabbioneta, M. Clemente, R.
Greenwood (Eds.), Organizational Wrongdoing as the “Foundational” Grand Challenge:
Consequences and Impact, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, 2023, pp. 73–100.'
date_created: 2023-07-19T06:41:59Z
date_updated: 2023-07-19T06:50:23Z
doi: 10.1108/s0733-558x20230000085005
editor:
- first_name: Claudia
full_name: Gabbioneta, Claudia
last_name: Gabbioneta
- first_name: Marco
full_name: Clemente, Marco
last_name: Clemente
- first_name: Royston
full_name: Greenwood, Royston
last_name: Greenwood
intvolume: ' 85'
language:
- iso: eng
page: 73-100
place: Bingley
publication: 'Organizational Wrongdoing as the “Foundational” Grand Challenge: Consequences
and Impact'
publication_identifier:
isbn:
- '9781837532834'
- '9781837532827'
issn:
- 0733-558X
publication_status: published
publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
series_title: Research in the Sociology of Organizations
status: public
title: 'Peers: Powerful or Negligible? A Systematic Review on Peer Factors and Internal
Whistleblowing'
type: book_chapter
user_id: '38794'
volume: 85
year: '2023'
...