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How Leaders Emerge: Evidence from Leadership Selection and Team Performance in India

Last registered on May 30, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
How Leaders Emerge: Evidence from Leadership Selection and Team Performance in India
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016103
Initial registration date
May 28, 2025

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 30, 2025, 10:07 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
India
Region
Madhya Pradesh

Primary Investigator

Name
Ashutosh Bhuradia
Affiliation
Harvard University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-05-19
End date
2025-08-31
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Post-conflict
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
J01, I23, I24, I24
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Jobs that involve non-routine analytical team tasks have grown rapidly over the past two decades. This has led to a greater demand for soft skills that are essential to these jobs. My study examines the interplay of two such skills–teamwork and leadership—in the context of higher education in India. Specifically, I propose an experiment with 610 students at a large engineering college in India, where students are randomly assigned to project teams under two distinct leadership conditions: researcher-appointed leaders based on observable characteristics versus peer-nominated leaders. The study first analyzes differences in leader characteristics between these two leadership conditions, then measures how leadership structures affect team dynamics and performance in an incentivized competition.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bhuradia, Ashutosh. 2025. "How Leaders Emerge: Evidence from Leadership Selection and Team Performance in India ." AEA RCT Registry. May 30. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16103-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention involves a randomized controlled trial with student teams at an engineering college in rural India. Students are first randomly assigned into teams of three, with the constraint that each team includes at least one male and one female. These teams are then randomly assigned to one of two leadership selection conditions:

1) Peer-Nominated Leader (T1): Team members discuss and nominate a leader from among themselves.
2) Researcher-Assigned Leader (T2): The researcher assigns the leader based on the social perceptiveness --specifically the highest PAGE (Perceived AI Generated Emotions) score among the team members.

All teams participate in a two-week app concept competition focused on solving rural challenges in agriculture or education. The competition simulates real-world teamwork under pressure, allowing the study to measure how different methods of leader selection impact team dynamics and project outcomes
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-05-30
Intervention End Date
2025-06-15

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Outcome #1: Differences in leader characteristics between peer-nominated and researcher-assigned teams
Outcome # 2: Differences in average project rating (each project will be rated by 2 trained independent raters, based on a pre-defined rubric)
Outcome # 3: Difference in proportion of teams that reach the final round (top 20% of the teams)
Outcome $ 4: Peer reported effort
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Peer-reported Effort: Index based on peer assessments evaluating equitable contributions, attendance, deadline respect, and constructive attitudes

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Google Slides/Docs activity: Version history to view detailed contribution records
Leadership preferences
Teamwork preferences
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Leadership preferences: index based on questions in the endline
Teamwork preferences: index based on questions in the endline

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study uses a stratified randomized controlled trial with 610 undergraduate students at an engineering college in rural India. Students are first randomly assigned into teams of three, ensuring that each team has at least one male and one female and each team is from the same cohort. These teams of three--further stratified by gender-composition (2 male & 1 female or 2 female & 1 male) and cohort (Year 1, Year 2, Year 3)--are then randomly assigned to one of two treatment arms:

1) Peer-Nominated Leader (T1): Teams nominate a leader from among their members.
2) Researcher-Assigned Leader (T2): The leader is assigned by the researcher based on the team member’s score on a social perceptiveness test (PAGE).

Teams then participate in a two-week app concept competition focused on rural problems in agriculture or education. The design tests how different leadership selection methods affect the characteristics of selected leaders and team performance.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomized done by software (R)
Randomization Unit
First students are randomized into of 3 teams at the individual level
Then 203 teams of 3 are randomized at the team level into one of two treatment arms
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
203 teams
Sample size: planned number of observations
610 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
102 teams in Peer-Nominated Leader (T1)
101 teams in Researcher-Assigned Leader (T2)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Harvard University IRB
IRB Approval Date
2025-05-02
IRB Approval Number
IRB25-0406
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