Using social connections and financial incentives to solve coordination failure: A quasi-field experiment in India's manufacturing sector

• Published in: Journal of development economics 2020-05, Vol.144, p.102445, Article 102445
• Main Authors: Afridi, Farzana, Dhillon, Amrita, Li, Sherry Xin, Sharma, Swati
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caste-based networks; Coordination; Financial incentives; Minimum effort game; Output; Social incentives
• ISSN: 0304-3878; 1872-6089
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2020.102445

Production processes are often organized in teams, yet there is limited evidence on whether and how social connections and financial incentives affect productivity in tasks that require coordination among workers. We simulate assembly line production in a lab-in-the-field experiment in which workers exert real effort in a minimum-effort game in teams whose members are either socially connected or unconnected and are paid according to the group output. We find that group output increases by 18%, and coordination improves by 30–39% when workers are socially connected with their co-workers. These findings can plausibly be explained by the higher levels of pro-social motivation between co-workers in socially connected teams. •Social connections can affect productivity in coordination tasks.•Minimum effort game in lab-in-the-field experiment.•Team members either socially connected or unconnected.•Group output higher by 18%, and coordination by 30–39% for socially connected.•Higher levels of pro-social motivation between co-workers in socially connected teams.