IACM 2019 Abstract Book »
The Effects of Accountability in Intergenerational Conflicts
Decisions taken by present generations can change the lives of many generations more to come. However, present decision-makers often fail to act on behalf of future generations. Temporal variations of interests result in intergenerational conflicts which are often solved ineffectively. Besides the motivation to serve one’s self-interest, negotiators are inclined to strive for fairness and moral correctness. Accountability elicits pressures to behave in accordance with what is socially approved or desired by group members. Prior research suggests that accountability can increase joint outcomes for present and future generations as parties of an intergenerational conflict. The current research project examines the effect of accountability in an intergenerational conflict, where a present decision maker can be made accountable for decision outcomes from future generations. By investigating in this domain, the current research offers a solution to enhance the consideration of future generations’ interests in negotiations by means of accountability.