Motivating Bureaucrats through Social Recognition : Evidence from Simultaneous Field Experiments
Bureaucratic performance is a crucial determinant of economic growth. Little is known about how to improve it in resource-constrained settings. This study describes a field trial of a social recognition intervention to improve record keeping in cli...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/967621528915025906/Motivating-bureaucrats-through-social-recognition-evidence-from-simultaneous-field-experiments http://hdl.handle.net/10986/29902 |
| Summary: | Bureaucratic performance is a crucial
determinant of economic growth. Little is known about how to
improve it in resource-constrained settings. This study
describes a field trial of a social recognition intervention
to improve record keeping in clinics in two Nigerian states,
replicating the intervention -- implemented by a single
organization -- on bureaucrats performing identical tasks in
both states. Social recognition improved performance in one
state but had no effect in the other, highlighting both the
potential and the limitations of behavioral interventions.
Differences in observables did not explain cross-state
differences in impacts, however, illustrating the
limitations of observable-based approaches to external validity. |
|---|