Doctoral Dissertation Research in Economics: Dissecting Piece Rate: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in a Garment Factory

经济学博士论文研究：剖析计件率：来自服装厂自然实验的证据

• 批准号: 2242282
• 负责人: Andrew Foster
• 金额: $ 1.48万
• 依托单位: Brown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-03-01 至 2024-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2242282&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Economics; Dissecting

Piece-rate wage system is a popular payment mechanism in the manufacturing sector, but some employers find it difficult to switch to this system for many reasons. While theoretical work argues that piece-rate wage motivates individual worker effort, it is unclear whether switching from a fixed-wage to piece-rate wage system increases overall worker productivity since piece rates affect labor productivity through multiple channels that may conflict with each other. This research project takes advantage of an on-going process of change from a fixed wage to a piece-rate wage system in one garment manufacturing plant to study the effects of piece-rate wage on productivity. The researchers will study how piece-rate wage payment system affects productivity through increased performance monitoring, motivation of individual efforts, as well as recruitment and retention of more productive workers. The innovative research design will allow the researchers to unbundle the separate effect of each productivity changing mechanism. The results of this research will guide US businesses on how to implement wage systems that reward productivity, hence increase economic growth and improve the well-being of citizens. This DDRIG research project will leverage the introduction of piece-rate wage system in a garment factory to study whether piece-rate wage system increases overall labor productivity relative to a fixed wage system and if so, the mechanisms through which these labor productivity changes occur. The factory will implement two interventions---performance-based wage scheme and a worker monitoring system. The implementation of these interventions is staggered, and this staggered roll-out allows the PIs to distinguish the mechanisms---increase monitoring, motivation of individual workers, or recruitment and retention of highly productive workers---through which performance-based wages affect labor productivity. Turnover and heterogeneous treatment of performance-based wages will allow the PIs to analyze sorting of workers into different performance groups. The results of this research will guide US businesses on how to implement wage systems that rewards productivity, hence increase economic growth and improve the well-being of citizens.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

计件工资制是制造业普遍采用的工资制度，但部分雇主基于种种原因，难以转用该制度。 虽然理论工作认为，计件工资激励了个体工人的努力，但从固定工资制转换为计件工资制是否会提高整体工人的生产率还不清楚，因为计件工资通过多种可能相互冲突的渠道影响劳动生产率。 本研究以某制衣厂由固定工资制向计件工资制转变的过程为背景，探讨计件工资制对生产率的影响。 研究人员将研究计件工资支付制度如何通过增加绩效监控、激励个人努力以及招聘和留住更具生产力的工人来影响生产力。 创新的研究设计将使研究人员能够解开每一个生产力变化机制的单独影响。 这项研究的结果将指导美国企业如何实施奖励生产力的工资制度，从而提高经济增长和改善公民的福祉。 本研究课题将以某服装厂实行计件工资制为例，研究计件工资制是否能提高整体劳动生产率，如果能提高的话，这些劳动生产率变化的机制是什么。 工厂将实施两项干预措施-绩效工资计划和工人监督制度。 这些干预措施的实施是交错的，这种交错的推出使PI能够区分机制---加强监督，激励个别工人，或招聘和留住高生产率的工人---通过绩效工资影响劳动生产率。营业额和基于绩效的工资的异质性处理将允许PI分析工人到不同的绩效组的排序。 该研究成果将指导美国企业如何实施奖励生产力的工资制度，从而促进经济增长并改善公民的福祉。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。