Within firm specialization - managers

Last registered on June 29, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Within firm specialization - managers
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019016
Initial registration date
June 25, 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 29, 2026, 9:16 AM EDT

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

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Mikko Silliman
Affiliation
Aalto University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Alexander Willen
PI Affiliation
Norwegian School of Economics
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Katrine Loken
PI Affiliation
Norwegian School of Economics
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-07-06
End date
2026-08-28
Keywords
Firms & Productivity, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We use vignette experiments to understand how managers perceive specialized roles within the firm to shape task content, productivity, social connectedness, coordination costs, and learning. Managers are randomly exposed to vignettes that either state that there is considerable overlap in their firm between worker tasks or that there is less overlap between worker tasks.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Loken, Katrine, Mikko Silliman and Alexander Willen. 2026. "Within firm specialization - managers." AEA RCT Registry. June 29. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19016-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We use vignette experiments to understand how managers perceive specialized roles within the firm to shape task content, productivity, social connectedness, coordination costs, and learning. Managers are randomly exposed to vignettes that either state that there is considerable overlap in their firm between worker tasks or that there is less overlap between worker tasks.
Intervention Start Date
2026-07-06
Intervention End Date
2026-08-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our main outcomes regard perceptions of worker learning -- i.e. does task overlap between workers facilitate learning? Extent of learning, mode of learning, and learning domain.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Task content, social connectedness, manager importance, ease of communication, collaboration, enjoyability, motivation, reasons for learning.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Half the managers in the experiment will be exposed first to vignettes indicating considerable task overlap. The other half will be exposed to vignettes indicating less task overlap with other workers. We also include within manager variation, as managers are shown the other vignette option and asked to re-answer the same questions. This design allows for both between and within manager comparisons.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
By computer.
Randomization Unit
Manger.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Manager. 1000 of them.
Sample size: planned number of observations
1000 managers for between worker comparisons, but 2000 observations including within manager comparisons.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1000 or 2000 depending if we just compare between managers, or allow for within manager comparisons.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Norwegian School of Economics
IRB Approval Date
2026-06-18
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan