The Role of Social Ties in Empowering Workers - Evidence from the Bangladeshi Garment Industry

Last registered on June 04, 2019
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Role of Social Ties in Empowering Workers - Evidence from the Bangladeshi Garment Industry
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0004269
Initial registration date
June 03, 2019

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 04, 2019, 11:27 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Bangladesh
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Vanessa Schreiber
Affiliation
University of Oxford
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2018-12-01
End date
2020-06-30
Keywords
Firms & Productivity
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
We conduct a randomized controlled trial in a Bangladeshi garment factory in which randomly selected workers are invited to discuss suggestions for improvement over lunch with a randomly selected co-worker who is either a friend or a non-friend. We analyse the extent to which firm-related and worker-related outcome variables differ between pairs and individuals. Furthermore, we aim to answer the question whether the distribution of the quantity and quality of suggestions can be shifted upwards by active management such as giving recognition and feedback to employees.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Schreiber, Vanessa. 2019. "The Role of Social Ties in Empowering Workers - Evidence from the Bangladeshi Garment Industry." AEA RCT Registry. June 04. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4269-1.0
Former Citation
Schreiber, Vanessa. 2019. "The Role of Social Ties in Empowering Workers - Evidence from the Bangladeshi Garment Industry." AEA RCT Registry. June 04. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/4269/history/47462
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2019-02-24
Intervention End Date
2019-11-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Quantity and quality of suggestions, productivity, absenteeism, turnover, job satisfaction
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In this project, we are working with a sample of ca. 200 operators working on one floor in a Bangladeshi garment factory. Pairs of workers will be randomly allocated to three groups
1) Friend pairs: Joint lunch with co-worker who is a friend
2) Non-friend pairs: Joint lunch with co-worker who is not a friend
3) Control group
Besides, pairs will be randomly allocated to another treatment group receiving feedback and recognition by managers. We will administer baseline, midline and endline surveys to collect measures of collaboration, job satisfaction, and idea generation. We will also collect administrative data from the factory to study any impact on firm- and worker-related outcomes.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Pair level
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
176 workers
Sample size: planned number of observations
176 workers
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
60 workers in non-friend treatment group, 58 workers in friend treatment group, 58 workers in control group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Oxford Department of International Development's Departmental Research Ethics Committee (DREC)
IRB Approval Date
2018-08-07
IRB Approval Number
CUREC 1A/ ODID C1A_18_079
IRB Name
Human Subjects Committee for Innovations for Poverty Action IRB-USA
IRB Approval Date
2019-04-05
IRB Approval Number
14777
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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

Request Information

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