Motivating bureaucrats through social recognition: External validity—A tale of two states

Varun Gauri, Julian C. Jamison, Nina Mazar and Owen Ozier

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2021, vol. 163, issue C, 117-131

Abstract: Bureaucratic performance is a crucial determinant of economic growth, but little real-world evidence exists on how to improve it, especially in resource-constrained settings. We conducted a field experiment of a social recognition intervention to improve record keeping in health facilities in two Nigerian states, replicating the intervention – implemented by a single organization – on bureaucrats performing identical tasks. Social recognition improved performance in one state but had no effect in the other, highlighting both the potential benefits and also the sometimes-limited generalizability of behavioral interventions. Furthermore, differences in facility-level observables did not explain cross-state differences in impacts, suggesting that it may often be difficult to predict external validity.

Keywords: RCT; External validity; Bureaucracy; Behavioral insights; Nudges; Healthcare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D73 D91 I18 L38 O35 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Working Paper: Motivating Bureaucrats through Social Recognition: External Validity — A Tale of Two States (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:163:y:2021:i:c:p:117-131

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.05.005

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