AEA RCT Registry

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.

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. January 28. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17763-1.0

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

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