Governing Intangible Commons: Evidence from the Indonesian Traditional Embroidery Industry

Last registered on June 03, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Governing Intangible Commons: Evidence from the Indonesian Traditional Embroidery Industry
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018772
Initial registration date
May 30, 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
June 03, 2026, 9:48 AM EDT

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
Naila Shofia
Affiliation
National University of Singapore
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Mari Tanaka
PI Affiliation
The University of Tokyo
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PI Name
Yasuyuki Sawada
PI Affiliation
The University of Tokyo
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PI Name
Hitomi Nakayama
PI Affiliation
Kyoto University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-04-27
End date
2028-09-30
Keywords
Behavior, Firms & Productivity, Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
Traditional crafts; Intangible commons; Culture-based marketing; Cooperation; Market access
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In many developing countries, traditional industries are declining rapidly amid broader economic growth and market change. Industries that rely on manual production methods and traditional skills transmitted across generations increasingly struggle to compete with mass-produced goods. This study examines whether identifying and better managing intangible commons—such as cultural heritage, shared identity, and collective values sustained through joint action among producers—can help both preserve and revitalize declining traditional industries. Specifically, we evaluate whether interventions that promote cultural-value-based marketing, encourage cooperation among producers, and connect producers with buyers/intermediaries who have expertise in designing products for broader markets improve outcomes in the traditional embroidery industry in rural Indonesia.
The study population includes embroidery business owners and workers identified through a door-to-door rapid census conducted in Kudus Regency Indonesia. Firms are randomly assigned to one of three groups: (i) a cultural-based marketing intervention, (ii) a cultural-based marketing plus coordination/cooperation intervention, or (iii) a placebo control group receiving training on healthy lifestyle topics. In addition, we cross-randomize a sample-order treatment in which some firms receive an order to produce sample products by buyers/intermediaries within a specified period. A baseline survey of business owners and workers is conducted in April-May 2026. The main outcomes data are collected through short post-workshop follow-up measures and an end-line survey approximately four months after the training. Primary outcomes include subjective cultural valuation of the product, intrinsic motivation, and producer cooperation. Secondary outcomes include business performance, market participation, engagement in follow-up producer activities, and the quality of requested sample products. Planned enrollment is about 600 individuals, half of which are business owners and another half are workers.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Nakayama, Hitomi et al. 2026. "Governing Intangible Commons: Evidence from the Indonesian Traditional Embroidery Industry." AEA RCT Registry. June 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18772-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The study evaluates three main intervention components for the traditional embroidery industry. The first provides information and training on practical strategies for culture-based marketing. It aims to help producers increase the value of embroidery products by positioning them as traditional crafts that embody cultural heritage and regional identity, while also expanding access to market opportunities beyond the local area. The second provides information and nudges aimed at formalizing coordination and cooperation among producers, which may help address common constraints related to production, marketing, and access to broader markets. The third intervention provides sample orders that connect producers with buyers/intermediaries who have expertise in designing products for broader markets. This treatment is intended to reduce information frictions by allowing producers to learn about the role intermediaries can play in accessing broader markets and allowing intermediaries to observe the quality of producers’ work. The main study arms consist of (i) the first component only, (ii) the first and second components together, and (iii) placebo training on healthy lifestyle topics. The third component is cross-randomized across these three arms.
Intervention Start Date
2026-05-31
Intervention End Date
2026-08-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Cultural valuation of embroidery products among business owners and workers.
2. Intrinsic motivation related to embroidery production and work among business owners and workers.
3. Measures of cooperation among producers.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Primary outcomes are constructed from survey-based measures of product valuation and intrinsic motivation for both business owners and workers, as well as follow-up and endline measures of cooperation among producers.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
1. Business performance measures, including sales and market expansion.
2. Engagement in follow-up producer activities and study-related group communication.
3. Quality of requested sample products
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Secondary outcomes are measured using post-workshop follow-up measures and endline survey data and include downstream economic and market-participation outcomes, engagement in follow-up producer activities, and assessed quality of requested sample products.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study is a randomized controlled trial in the traditional embroidery industry in Indonesia. Eligible participants are embroidery business owners and workers identified through a door-to-door census conducted in Kudus Regency. Firms are randomly assigned to one of three main study arms: (i) culture-based marketing treatment only, (ii) culture-based marketing plus coordination/cooperation treatment, or (iii) placebo control training on healthy lifestyle topics. Additionally, we cross-randomize (iv) sample-order treatment across the three main study arms. Baseline data collection takes place in April-May 2026. Additional data collection includes short post-workshop follow-up measures and an end-line survey approximately four months after the training. Planned enrollment is about 600 individuals, half of which are business owners and another half are workers.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Firms will be assigned to study arms using computerized randomization by the research team prior to intervention delivery.
Randomization Unit
Firm.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Around 300
Sample size: planned number of observations
Around 600 individuals, half of which are business owners and another half are workers.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
We plan to assign approximately 100 firms in the culture-based marketing arm, 100 firms in the culture-based marketing plus coordination/cooperation arm, and 100 firms in the placebo control arm. Additionally, around 150 firms will be assigned to receive a sample order and 150 will not receive the sample order. The planned total observed sample is about 600 individuals, half of which are business owners and another half are workers.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
The IRB of the University of Tokyo, Office for Life Science Research Ethics and Safety
IRB Approval Date
2026-05-12
IRB Approval Number
E2026ALS033
Analysis Plan