Using Twitter and Sales Targets to Transform SMEs Project Evaluation: Pre-Analysis Plan

Last registered on July 27, 2016
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Using Twitter and Sales Targets to Transform SMEs Project Evaluation: Pre-Analysis Plan
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0001457
Initial registration date
July 27, 2016

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
July 27, 2016, 6:16 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Kenya
Region
Nairobi

Primary Investigator

Name
Samantha Horn
Affiliation
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Jonathan Page
PI Affiliation
University of Hawaii
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PI Name
Chaning Jang
PI Affiliation
Princeton University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2015-06-01
End date
2015-11-28
Keywords
Education, Finance & Microfinance
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This paper describes the analysis plan for a randomized controlled trial evaluating Twitter as a medium for financial literacy advice and marketing among second-hand clothes sellers in a market in Nairobi, Kenya. We also assess the effect of sales targets in the same population. In 2014 we randomly selected stallholders to be part of four different treatment groups that either received financial literacy advice through Twitter, financial literacy and marketing advice through Twitter, or two different types of sales targeting approaches. This study aims to identify the impact of these interventions on business practices and overall business performance. This plan outlines our evaluation questions, outcomes of interest, and a proposed econometric approach.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Horn, Samantha, Chaning Jang and Jonathan Page. 2016. "Using Twitter and Sales Targets to Transform SMEs Project Evaluation: Pre-Analysis Plan." AEA RCT Registry. July 27. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.1457-1.0
Former Citation
Horn, Samantha, Chaning Jang and Jonathan Page. 2016. "Using Twitter and Sales Targets to Transform SMEs Project Evaluation: Pre-Analysis Plan." AEA RCT Registry. July 27. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/1457/history/9746
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2015-08-29
Intervention End Date
2015-09-23

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Financial literacy
(a) Financial literacy index: sum of responses to the following statements asked on a Likert scale from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”:
i. It is important to save regularly.
ii. It is important to separate household and business money.
iii. It is important to calculate profits regularly. 14
iv. It is important to keep a spending plan or budget for your business. v. It is important to keep records for your business.
2. Business outcomes
(a) Items sold in previous week
(b) Items sold in previous month
(c) Reported profit
(d) Business confidence index: sum of responses to the following statements asked on a Likert scale from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”:
i. I feel like a good businessman.
ii. I know more about business than the average person.
iii. I don’t want to be in a business forever.
iv. I feel confident that I can handle my business finances.
v. I would like to expand my current business.
vi. I am happy to run my business exactly the way it is right now.
vii. I feel engaged with my customers
(e) Reported amount spent on stock
(f) Business outcome index: Weighted standardized average of 2.a) to 2.e) (except 2.d))
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study aims to test the impact of Twitter as a medium for financial literacy advice and marketing, as well the effects of sales targeting exercises in improving business outcomes among market vendors with an experimental design involving four different treatment arms: two related to the use of Twitter in providing business services and two related to the use of sales targets.
For the Twitter-based treatments the project developed two Twitter-baed busi- ness services, which gave small enterprises business advice and a medium for mar- keting through the Twitter platform. To our knowledge there have not been any studies assessing the use of Twitter in financial training and business development. The project aims to provide insight on this front while contributing to evidence regarding the role of financial literacy in affecting business performance for SMEs.
The project also tested two sales target based interventions. The use of sales targets is a well-known tool used among businesses to track sales performance and provide motivation to drive sales, yet our qualitative work demonstrated that the vendors in our target population, in the main, do not engage in such practices. We engaged selected vendors in the study in a sales targeting exercise, which for some was also supplemented by a paper tracker to help track sales progress visually.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
The project used a randomized evaluation strategy. We conducted a census of Adam’s market to gather information on the business type of stalls within the market, as well as the contact details of stall managers or owners. A total of 479 vendors were surveyed in the census. Only stalls that sold Mitumba were considered as eligible to participate in the study and therefore surveyed for the census. We then randomly selected 70 subjects for each of the four treatment groups, and the same number for the control group.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
350
Sample size: planned number of observations
350
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
70 for each treatment and control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Business Services
IRB Approval Date
2013-09-13
IRB Approval Number
CHS 21274
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Using Twitter and Sales Targets to Transform SMEs Project Evaluation: Pre-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