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The Costs and Benefits of Diversity: Evidence from A Field Experiment

Last registered on January 23, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Costs and Benefits of Diversity: Evidence from A Field Experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012870
Initial registration date
January 21, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 23, 2024, 12:56 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Ferdous Sardar
Affiliation
Bryant University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Allison Butler
PI Affiliation
Bryant University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-11-01
End date
2024-02-29
Keywords
Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
Diversity, Gender Diversity, Team Dynamics, Team Performance, Team Innovation
JEL code(s)
J16, M12, O3
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of gender and racial diversity on team innovation, satisfaction, and performance, addressing a significant gap in field experimental literature on diversity (Bertrand and Duflo, 2017). Utilizing a unique setting of a three-day intensive design thinking event at a US private university, the study randomizes over 900 predominantly first-year students into varied gender team compositions. The design is aimed at measuring the real-world implications of diversity in a controlled, yet dynamic problem-solving environment. Using both self-reported survey data, objectively evaluated performance data, and administrative data, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of how diversity influences team dynamics and outcomes. It seeks to contribute robust empirical evidence to the economic discourse on the costs and benefits of diversity.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Butler, Allison and Ferdous Sardar. 2024. "The Costs and Benefits of Diversity: Evidence from A Field Experiment." AEA RCT Registry. January 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12870-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study involves a three-day design thinking event among first-year college students. The intervention's core is the randomized assignment of students into small teams with varied gender compositions.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2024-01-22
Intervention End Date
2024-01-24

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Team Innovation:
• Number of ideas generated by the teams during the brainstorm sessions.
• Originality & Innovativeness score of their solution as evaluated by their mentors and independent evaluator.
Team dynamics:
• Satisfaction
• Sense of unity
• Communication
• Cooperation
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Engagement
• Morale
Team performance
• Individual performance
• Team performance as evaluated by their mentors and independent evaluator.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design

Students are randomly assigned to one of the following teams:
• All male (5 members)
• All male (4 members)
• Mixed gender - male dominant (3 male and 2 female members)
• Mixed gender - balanced (2 male and 2 female members)
• Mixed gender - female dominant (2 male and 3 female members)
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer using Stata
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No cluster
Sample size: planned number of observations
~920
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
• All male: ~185
• All male: ~ 164
• Mixed gender - male dominant: ~135
• Mixed gender - balanced: ~152
• Mixed gender - female dominant: ~260
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Bryant University
IRB Approval Date
2023-10-29
IRB Approval Number
2023-10-29
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials