Preventing theft in the workplace: Field-experimental evidence

Last registered on May 13, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Preventing theft in the workplace: Field-experimental evidence
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013592
Initial registration date
May 12, 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
May 13, 2024, 12:42 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Max Thon
Affiliation
University of Cologne
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Oliver Gürtler
PI Affiliation
University of Cologne
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PI Name
Matthias Heinz
PI Affiliation
University of Cologne
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PI Name
Martin Huber
PI Affiliation
University of Fribourg
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PI Name
Dirk Sliwka
PI Affiliation
University of Cologne
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-05-12
End date
2024-05-19
Keywords
Behavior, Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Firms & Productivity
Additional Keywords
monitoring, field experiment
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We are collaborating with a restaurant chain in Germany. This company offers a diverse range of beverage and food products across its numerous restaurants throughout Germany. A significant challenge faced by the company is employee theft, specifically, waiters accepting payment from customers without properly recording the transaction in their cashier systems. In our field experiment, we will implement randomized monitoring measure within these restaurants. This entails the company's internal staff visiting the restaurants to conduct pre-announced inspections. The main aim of the intervention is to reduce theft and estimate the extent to which there is theft. Moreover, we conduct an employee-survey collecting data to identify the underlying behavioral mechanisms.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Gürtler, Oliver et al. 2024. "Preventing theft in the workplace: Field-experimental evidence." AEA RCT Registry. May 13. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13592-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Monitors are equipped with a mobile cashier system, which they use to verify that all products consumed are correctly entered into the cashier system.
Intervention Start Date
2024-05-12
Intervention End Date
2024-05-19

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Number of breakfast buffets recorded in the cashier system, ratio of food to beverage consumption
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
The issue of not accurately entering data into the cashier system concerns one specific product, namely the breakfast buffet. For all other products, the risk of theft is relatively low as it requires collaboration. The buffet is offered every morning. Not properly accounting for the product works as follows: Guests may order the buffet, but the waiters do not record it in the cashier system and still collect the money when the guests pay at the end. The main aim of our monitoring intervention is to reduce the theft of breakfast buffets and estimate the extent of theft.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Total revenue from breakfast buffets, total revenue during breakfast time, survey measures (workplace climate, job satisfaction, engagement, turnover intention, manager satisfaction), heterogeneity analyses with respect to previous monitoring intensity, turnover intention, manager satisfaction and worker tenure.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
We run a baseline survey in which we elicit workplace climate, job satisfaction, engagement, turnover intention, manager satisfaction and previous monitoring intensity.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The main aim of the intervention is to prevent waiters from taking cash from customers without properly recording it in the cashier system. To achieve this, internal staff from the company are sent to a random subset of restaurants. These monitors are equipped with a mobile cashier system, which they use to verify that all products consumed are correctly entered into the cashier system. The checks are pre-announced, ensuring that all waiters are aware of the upcoming visits of the monitors.
Experimental Design Details
The main aim of the intervention is to prevent waiters from taking cash from customers without properly recording it in the cashier system. To achieve this, internal staff from the company are sent to a random subset of restaurants. These monitors are equipped with a mobile cashier system, which they use to verify that all products consumed are correctly entered into the cashier system. The checks are pre-announced, ensuring that all waiters are aware of the upcoming visits of the monitors. The issue of not accurately entering data into the cashier system concerns one specific product, namely the breakfast buffet. For all other products, the risk of theft is relatively low as it requires collaboration. The buffet is offered every morning. Not properly accounting for the product works as follows: Guests may order the buffet, but the waiters do not record it in the cashier system and still collect the money when the guests pay at the end. The main aim of our monitoring intervention is to reduce the theft of breakfast buffets and estimate the extent of theft. Therefore, the monitors will only be present during the morning hours.
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Restaurant level
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
No clusters.
Sample size: planned number of observations
80 restaurants. We may evaluate the treatment effects on the waiter level as it allows us to account for individual fixed-effects. However, we do not know yet how many waiters will work on the specific days.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
40 restaurants in the control group and 40 restaurants in the treatment group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethical Review Board of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Cologne
IRB Approval Date
2024-05-10
IRB Approval Number
240028MT
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

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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