Volume 32, 2023 Issue 2 Journal of Economics & Management Strategy
Volume 32, 2023 Issue 1 Journal of Economics & Management Strategy
Hans K. Hvide
Yaron Yehezkel
How to examine external validity within an experiment
Amanda E. KowalskiA fundamental concern for researchers who analyze and design experiments is that the estimate obtained from the experiment might not be externally valid for other policies of interest. Researchers often attempt to assess external validity by comparing data from an experiment to external data. In this paper, I discuss approaches from the treatment effects literature that researchers can use to begin the examination of external validity internally, within the data from a single experiment.
Dangers of a double-bottom line? A poverty targeting experiment misses both targets
Dean Karlan, Adam Osman, and Jonathan ZinmanTwo for-profit Philippine banks, aiming to increasing microlending to the poor, incorporated a widely used poverty measurement tool into their loan applications and tested the tool using randomized training content. The strategy backfired, leading to no additional poor applicants and potentially lower-performing loans. This cautionary tale is an example of why management may want include social outcomes directly into employee performance evaluations, or silo corporate social responsibility efforts from core operations.
Infringing use as a path to legal consumption: Evidence from a field experiment
Hong Luo and Julie Holland Mortimer
Digitization has transformed how users find and use copyrighted goods, but many existing legal options remain difficult to access, possibly leading to infringement. In a field experiment, we contact firms that are caught infringing on expensive digital images. Our results suggest that ex-post monetization (e.g., licensing after use) may expand the market, and that rights holders can create value by minimizing search and transactions costs.
Digitization has transformed how users find and use copyrighted goods, but many existing legal options remain difficult to access, possibly leading to infringement. In a field experiment, we contact firms that are caught infringing on expensive digital images. Our results suggest that ex-post monetization (e.g., licensing after use) may expand the market, and that rights holders can create value by minimizing search and transactions costs.
Worker reciprocity and the returns to training: Evidence from a field experiment
Jan Sauermann
Using a field experiment with random assignment to training combined with survey information on workers' reciprocal inclinations, the results show that reciprocal workers reciprocate employers' training investments by higher posttraining performance. This finding provides an alternative rationale to explain firm training investments even with the risk of poaching.
Using a field experiment with random assignment to training combined with survey information on workers' reciprocal inclinations, the results show that reciprocal workers reciprocate employers' training investments by higher posttraining performance. This finding provides an alternative rationale to explain firm training investments even with the risk of poaching.
Performance feedback in a group contest: A field experiment on electricity conservation
Chia-Wen Chen, Josie I. Chen, and Min-Jen LinWe conduct a field experiment on electricity conservation to study whether revealing both the competitive state and the social state in a group contest affects individual beliefs and efforts. We find that contestants without feedback about relative performance had difficulty assessing their group's competitive status, and laggards within a group tended to be overconfident about their relative contribution.
Management, supervision, and healthcare: A field experiment
Felipe A. Dunsch, David K. Evans, Ezinne Eze-Ajoku, and Mario MacisWe used a randomized management consulting intervention with 80 public-sector healthcare facilities in Nigeria to study the role of information, training, and supervision on the adoption of improved organizational practices.
Evaluating entrepreneurship training: How important are field experiments for estimating impacts?
Robert W. Fairlie
Governments and donors around the world spend billions of dollars subsidizing entrepreneurship training programs. Unbiased evaluation estimates are paramount to understanding whether subsidies and investments in these programs are justified. The goal of this paper is to compare nonexperimental to experimental methods for evaluating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training programs that provide training in management, marketing, accounting, legal, and other aspects of starting and running businesses.
Governments and donors around the world spend billions of dollars subsidizing entrepreneurship training programs. Unbiased evaluation estimates are paramount to understanding whether subsidies and investments in these programs are justified. The goal of this paper is to compare nonexperimental to experimental methods for evaluating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training programs that provide training in management, marketing, accounting, legal, and other aspects of starting and running businesses.
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