Training, Soft Skills and Productivity: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Maria Prada (), Graciana Rucci () and Sergio Urzua
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Graciana Rucci: IADB

No 12447, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper examines a training intervention aimed at boosting leadership and communication skills among employees of a large Latin American retailer. The identification exploits an experimental design in the context of a difference-in-difference strategy. Using longitudinal information obtained from the firm and two skills surveys, we document large positive effects of the training on store- and individual- level productivity. The intervention was more effective in boosting leadership than communication skills. Spillovers from trained managers to untrained sales representatives also contribute to the main effects. Our findings confirm the possibility of increasing productivity through training targeting critical soft-skills.

Keywords: socio-emotional skills; training; productivity; experiments with firms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 J24 M53 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 61 pages
Date: 2019-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-bec, nep-eff, nep-exp, nep-hrm, nep-lam and nep-lma
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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