Events

Professor Xinzheng Shi
Professor of Economics
School of Economics
Peking University

Abstract

We conduct a randomized experiment to investigate whether job seekers have a perception of their work performance in flexible work arrangements and whether providing information regarding work performance can improve their preference for flexible work arrangements. We find that job seekers have a clear perception of their work performance in flexible schedule work arrangements but not in flexible workplaces or a combination of both. We further find that providing information on work performance in flexible work arrangements can increase job seekers’ probability of choosing such arrangements. The impact is stronger among less experienced job seekers and applicants to positions requiring less face-to-face communication. Finally, structural estimates show that information interventions shape preferences by significantly updating beliefs about productivity under flexible work arrangements.