Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/196749 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12251
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
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.
Subjects: 
RCT
external validity
bureaucracy
behavioral insights
nudges
healthcare
JEL: 
C93
D73
D91
I18
L38
O35
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.