Incentives for information sharing in the labour market

Last registered on February 12, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Incentives for information sharing in the labour market
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017763
Initial registration date
January 26, 2026

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 28, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

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

Last updated
February 12, 2026, 9:28 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Rabbia Tariq
Affiliation
University of Exeter
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-01-28
End date
2026-02-16
Keywords
Behavior, Labor
Additional Keywords
Social Networks
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Despite widespread access to online job postings, large disparities in employment outcomes persist among similarly qualified candidates, suggesting that informational frictions extend beyond vacancy access. This paper argues that process knowledge about how hiring processes operate is a key and understudied source of advantage. Unlike vacancy information, process knowledge is unevenly distributed through social networks and is strategically costly to share in competitive, rank-order selection environments. Using a lab-in-the-field experiment with university students in Pakistan competing for real jobs, the paper causally examines how access to process knowledge affects information-sharing behaviour.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Tariq, Rabbia . 2026. "Incentives for information sharing in the labour market." AEA RCT Registry. February 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17763-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This project studies information sharing behaviour in social networks using a lab-in-the-field experiment. The experiment distinguishes between (i) vacancy information and (ii) application-process knowledge that can improve performance in application stages (e.g., screening tests/interviews).
Intervention Start Date
2026-01-28
Intervention End Date
2026-02-16

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Vacancy information sharing (both extensive and intensive margin); withholding margin
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Withholding margin is the gap between vacancy sharing and process-knowledge sharing within the treatment group with access to process-knowledge.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Help sharing; Intent to apply for the job; perceived competitive threat, reciprocity expectations, perceived peer popularity and perceived peer ability.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This project studies information sharing behaviour in social networks using a lab-in-the-field experiment. The experiment distinguishes between (i) vacancy information and (ii) application-process knowledge that can improve performance in application stages (e.g., screening tests/interviews).
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computer-generated random assignment.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomisation is the individual participant.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
30 sessions
Sample size: planned number of observations
800 participants
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
800 participants
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
FESE UEBS Ethics Committee
IRB Approval Date
2026-01-12
IRB Approval Number
11649516
Analysis Plan

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