Can Referral Improve Targeting? Evidence from a Vocational Training Experiment

Marcel Fafchamps, Asad Islam, Debayan Pakrashi and Mohammad Malek

No 12070, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: We seek to improve the targeting of vocational training by inviting past trainees to select future trainees from a candidate pool. Some referees are rewarded or incentivized. Training increases the adoption of recommended practices and improves performance on average, but not all trainees adopt. Referred trainees are 3.7% more likely to adopt, but rewarding or incentivizing referees does not improve referral quality. When referees receive financial compensation, average adoption increases and referee and referred are more likely to coordinate their adoption behavior.

Keywords: Targeting; Social Networks; Agricultural innovation; Extension (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 O13 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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