Elsevier

Public Relations Review

Volume 42, Issue 5, December 2016, Pages 832-842
Public Relations Review

Full Length Article
What motivates the public? The power of social norms in driving public participation with organizations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.09.004Get rights and content

Highlights

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    This study examines motivating factors that impact public participation with organizations.

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    We examine the role of different types of norms (social norm vs. market norm) in initiating participation.

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    When people feel recognized by an organization, their motivations are as strong as those who receive monetary rewards for participation.

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    Perceived recognition, task enjoyment, and satisfaction with performance appraisal motivate people to participate.

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    Organizations can enhance organization-public relationships by recognizing and appreciating publics rather than offering monetary benefits.

Abstract

This study examines motivating factors that impact public participation with organizations. A between-subjects lab experiment was conducted to examine the role of different types of norms (social norm vs. market norm) in initiating participation. Results suggest that when people feel recognized by an organization, their motivations are as strong as those who receive monetary rewards for participation. Three distinct underlying psychological mechanisms that drive participation are identified. Theoretical and practical implications for public relations and organizational communication are discussed.

Section snippets

Theoretical framework

The decline of public engagement and participation has been documented by many scholars in diverse disciplines of social science (Postman, 1985, Putnam, 1995). For companies and organizations, particularly those whose existence primarily relies on public participation like Facebook and Wikipedia, contributions from publics are indispensable in creating organizational loyalty (Holland & Stacey, 2001) and commitment (Lines, 2004, Mathieu and Zajac, 1990, Mayer and Schoorman, 1998). Therefore,

Method

This study employed a between-subjects experiment in which a total of 186 participants were randomly assigned into control, social norm, market norm with low payment, and market norm with high payment conditions. Operationalization of type of norms was based on previous studies, which usually adopted small gifts to activate the social norm. They were usually chosen by prior researchers as the key to the social norm is to effectively express one’s appreciation to participants in a short period

Manipulation check

A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to rule out any potential confounding influence from the six photos (fox, owl, raccoon, deer, rabbit, or squirrel) of the greeting cards. Such analysis revealed no different impacts between the six photos on perceived recognition, F(5, 40) = 1.03, p = 0.42; task enjoyment, F(5, 40) = 0.89, p = 0.50; satisfaction with performance appraisal, F(5, 40) = 1.54, p = 0.20; organizational commitment, F(5, 40) = 0.84, p = 0.53; time spent on editing wiki pages, F(5,

General discussion

This study showed that people were, indeed, able to be motivated to participate and contribute for reasons other than monetary rewards. The social norm, reflected in the form of a greeting card addressed to each participant generated strong motivations among people. More importantly, this study showed that not only could individuals be motivated by the social norm, but also that they were as motivated as those who received monetary compensation. The social norm generated as strong psychological

Conclusions

This study recognizes the psychological motivations that impact public participation. As companies and organizations continue to search for best practices to build and maintain strong public relations with limited resources, it is particularly important to develop strategies for public recognition. When individuals have a high perceived level of recognition, they are likely to display a commitment to the organization and are thus more inclined to participate and contribute to such an

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