Management Style Under the Spotlight: Evidence from Studio Recordings

Girum Abebe, Marcel Fafchamps, Michael Koelle, Simon Quinn and Tom Schwantje

No 21043, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: We introduce a new method for measuring managerial traits of young professionals: using management vignettes in a video studio. This method — analysed through the lens of a Bayesian hierarchical model — allows us to identify four distinct managerial archetypes (which we term 'rule-based', 'affiliative', 'power-based' and 'discretion-based'). We find that past labour market exposure (including exposure induced through a previous field experiment) correlates strongly with the propensity to act as a rule-based manager. We then use the videos to run an incentivised experiment with firm managers, to elicit preferences over young professionals. Strikingly, we find that firms consistently prefer the rule-based managerial style for entry-level managerial positions. Empirically, our results highlight an underexplored mechanism for labour market exclusion among young professionals. Methodologically, we demonstrate the value of controlled vignette scenarios for assessing managerial traits. Our findings underscore the importance of managerial training in shaping labor market outcomes, and offer new avenues for studying the development of managerial talent.

JEL-codes: C11 J24 J62 M12 M51 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01
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