The UVa Alumni Association uses positive selective benefits
to overcome the free-rider problem that often occurs in groups. This is a
close-to-home example of the by-product theory of groups we discussed in class
on Thursday. This by-product theory can be simply summarized: members get hookups.
Just as someone may be persuaded to join a union in order to
take a certain job, students and alumni of UVa are persuaded to be members of
the UVa Alumni Association in order to enjoy the many benefits of membership.
As a side note, it is interesting to note that there are no
fees for Student Life members – I am curious to see how many students end up
paying the Life Membership fees in order to continue enjoying the selective benefits.
The benefits may not be as applicable to an alumnus who moves away from
Charlottesville. It is a question of if the selective benefits will
outweigh the membership costs for the individual.
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