Finding Team Mates who are not prone to Sucker and Free-Rider effects: The Protestant Work Ethic as a Moderator of Motivation Losses in Group Performance

This study examines the contribution of a personality variable in motivation losses in group performance. Differences in the endorsement of the ‘Protestant Work Ethic’ can account for variance in motivation losses in group work. Male student scores on the Mirels- Garrett Protestant Work Ethic Scale and Ho’s Australian Work Ethic Scale as well as different preferences for reward distributions were used as moderator variables. The study tested motivation losses in a situation that was designed to provoke the free-rider effect and in a situation that was designed to provoke the sucker-effect. Results showed that different facets of the Protestant Work Ethic have different effects on behavior in group work situations: Whereas approval of the equity principle moderates the sucker-effect, belief in work as a value moderates the free-rider effect.