Awards unbundled: evidence from a natural field experiment

Ashraf, Nava, Bandiera, Oriana and Lee, Scott S. (2014) Awards unbundled: evidence from a natural field experiment. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 100. pp. 44-63. ISSN 0167-2681

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Abstract

Organizations often use non-monetary awards to incentivize performance. Awards may affect behavior through several mechanisms: by conferring employer recognition, by enhancing social visibility, and by facilitating social comparison. In a nationwide health worker training program in Zambia, we design a field experiment to unbundle these mechanisms. We find that employer recognition and social visibility increase performance while social comparison reduces it, especially for low-ability trainees. These effects appear when treatments are announced and persist through training. The findings are consistent with a model of optimal expectations in which low-ability individuals exert low effort in order to avoid information about their relative ability.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-econom...
Additional Information:	© 2014 Elsevier B. V.
Divisions:	Economics STICERD
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D83 - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D84 - Expectations; Speculations J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs > J33 - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods M - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting > M5 - Personnel Economics > M52 - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects (stock options, fringe benefits, incentives, family support programs, seniority issues) O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O15 - Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
Date Deposited:	03 Mar 2015 12:30
Last Modified:	05 Apr 2024 02:42
Funders:	International Growth Centre
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/61125

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