An experimental investigation of social preferences, their determinants and their role in the labour supply function

Social preferences (concern that people have for others' well-being) are potentially very relevant to understanding the decision to work in the public sector, such as health care; a number of surveys suggest the importance of vocational motivation ("helping the community") or altruism ("serving others") for example.
A greater understanding of the role that social preferences have is critical to the future management of human resources within healthcare. Virtually all countries are experiencing a shortage of public sector nurses. However, research on nurses working decisions and interventions to encourage greater enrolment, retention and return of nurses to the public sector has overlooked social preferences (most focus on financial determinants and inducements).
The work proposed here will address this current deficit. A rich set of experimental and survey data of actual choices will allow several analyses to be undertaken that will inform the nature, determinants and influence of social preferences concerning the labour supply decisions of nurses in three developing countries. This will, more broadly, inform both the policy community on designing more effective policy interventions to encourage worker enrolment, retention and return, and the research community on the form and role of social preferences in public worker labour supply decisions.