Stimulating civic behavior? The paradoxes of incentivising self-organization

Figures & data

Table 1. Variable and possible values.

Variables	Possible values
1. Motivation	Extrinsically (with lower/higher degrees of self-determination) Intrinsically
2. Perception	Supportive/controlling
3. Processes	Self-determination: to a lesser/greater extent
	Self-esteem: to a lesser/greater extent
4. Mechanisms	Bad/good news
	Moral engagement/disengagement
	(An absence of) control aversion
	(Any form of) preference updating
5. Results	Is there a crowding in or out effect?

Table 2. Cases and descriptions.

No.	Description
1	This initiative organises all kinds of activities focused on increasing social cohesion and unity in the neighbourhood. Examples are fishing together, bus trips, ‘neighbour-day’, maintaining gardens and the particular activity supported by the fund of renovating a small garden
2	The activity is for improving and maintaining a playground in a specific block of a neighbourhood. The active neighbours in this initiative consist of roughly seven families and their activities regarding the playground was a one-off occasion.
3	The orchard is located in a green space between two rows of houses in a relatively new neighbourhood. The initiator and other citizens were not satisfied with the green space, and they made a new plan for the green space, turning it an orchard. They adopted some trees that the municipality wanted to get rid of and organise activities in the orchard.
4	The food garden is located in one of the Dutch COA’s (Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers, roughly translated as ‘central agency for the reception of asylum Seekers’. The initiators organise the garden in collaboration with the refugees.
5	Inspired by the counting of birds in the area and a recent lecture on butterflies, the initiators created a coalition with a local (retired) farmer who would make his land available, a school, and the municipality to create the butterfly garden.
6	This initiative involves redecorating structures. One was ‘the cage’ – a local gas distribution point – and the other was ‘the shack’ – a local hanging out spot for the youth – both in decayed state. The initiator, who is a teacher at a secondary school, thought of a project to let students aid in the renovation and decoration of the structures. Students, kids from the local primary school, the municipality, a cultural organisation (with a graffiti artist), and the gas company made the structures more attractive
7	This initiative is a group of women who aimed to create a natural playground in their village for the kids. The initiators turned first to the developer of some of the lots in the village but with no results, and they then went on to the municipality and other partners to realise their ambitions.
8	This initiative is about a group of kids working weekly on robotics and who train/prepare for robot competitions. The initiative in its current form ‘just came about’ because the parents got involved in the kids’ activities.