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Piece rates for professors

Author

Listed:
  • Heywood, John S.
  • Wei, Xiangdong
  • Ye, Guangliang

Abstract

Using panel data, we demonstrate a 50% increase in research productivity following a dramatic increase in the piece rate paid for articles by a major Chinese University. The increased productivity comes exclusively from those who were already research active.

Suggested Citation

  • Heywood, John S. & Wei, Xiangdong & Ye, Guangliang, 2011. "Piece rates for professors," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(3), pages 285-287.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:113:y:2011:i:3:p:285-287
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2011.08.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paarsch, Harry J & Shearer, Bruce, 2000. "Piece Rates, Fixed Wages, and Incentive Effects: Statistical Evidence from Payroll Records," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 41(1), pages 59-92, February.
    2. Glenn MacDonald & Leslie M. Marx, 2001. "Adverse Specialization," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(4), pages 864-899, August.
    3. Edward P. Lazear, 2000. "Performance Pay and Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1346-1361, December.
    4. Bruce Shearer, 2004. "Piece Rates, Fixed Wages and Incentives: Evidence from a Field Experiment," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 71(2), pages 513-534.
    5. Bull, Clive & Schotter, Andrew & Weigelt, Keith, 1987. "Tournaments and Piece Rates: An Experimental Study," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(1), pages 1-33, February.
    6. Shi Lan, 2010. "Incentive Effect of Piece-Rate Contracts: Evidence from Two Small Field Experiments," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-34, July.
    7. M. Ryan Haley, 2003. "The Response of Worker Effort to Piece Rates: Evidence from the Midwest Logging Industry," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 38(4).
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mehrzad B. Baktash, 2026. "Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness?," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 79(1), pages 129-148, February.
    2. Benjamin Artz & John S Heywood, 2024. "Performance pay and work hours: US survey evidence," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 76(3), pages 609-627.
    3. Yaşar Tonta & Müge Akbulut, 2020. "Does monetary support increase citation impact of scholarly papers?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(2), pages 1617-1641, November.
    4. Joshua Congdon-Hohman & Jonathan A. Lanning, 2013. "Workers' Responses to Incentives: The Case of Pending MLB Free Agents," Working Papers 1304, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    5. Ryazanova, Olga & Jaskiene, Jolanta, 2022. "Managing individual research productivity in academic organizations: A review of the evidence and a path forward," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(2).
    6. Mehrzad B. Baktash & John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn, 2022. "Performance pay and alcohol use in Germany," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 353-383, October.
    7. Benjamin Artz & Colin P. Green & John S. Heywood, 2021. "Does performance pay increase alcohol and drug use?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(3), pages 969-1002, July.
    8. Yuret, Tolga, 2017. "Do researchers pay attention to publication subsidies?," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 423-434.
    9. Gabriel-Alexandru Vîiu & Mihai Păunescu, 2021. "The citation impact of articles from which authors gained monetary rewards based on journal metrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(6), pages 4941-4974, June.
    10. Guo, Qian & Song, Yang & Sun, Wenkai & Wang, Yijie, 2016. "Gender differences in performance-based pay: Evidence from a Chinese University," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 104-113.
    11. Tian, Zhilei & Wei, Yi & Li, Fang, 2019. "Who are better teachers? The effects of tenure-track and part-time faculty on student achievement," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 140-151.
    12. Baktash, Mehrzad B. & Heywood, John S. & Jirjahn, Uwe, 2023. "Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Marital Instability?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1305, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. David Butler & Robert Butler & Robert Simmons, 2022. "Contracts, pay and performance in the sport of kings: Evidence from horse racing," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(1), pages 152-175, March.
    14. Baktash, Mehrzad B. & Heywood, John S. & Jirjahn, Uwe, 2022. "Worker stress and performance pay: German survey evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 276-291.
    15. Clemens, Marco & Sauermann, Jan, 2025. "Making the right call: The heterogeneous effects of individual performance pay on productivity," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    16. Green, Colin P. & Heywood, John S., 2022. "Does Performance Pay Influence Hours of Work?," IZA Discussion Papers 15474, IZA Network @ LISER.
    17. Selcuk Besir Demir, 2018. "Pros and cons of the new financial support policy for Turkish researchers," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 2053-2068, September.
    18. Mehrzad B. Baktash & John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn, 2025. "Performance Pay and Happiness: Work vs. Home?," Research Papers in Economics 2025-08, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    19. Jirjahn, Uwe & Rienzo, Cinzia, 2025. "Working from Home and Mental Health: Giving Employees a Choice Does Make a Difference," IZA Discussion Papers 18187, IZA Network @ LISER.
    20. Mehrzad B. Baktash & John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn, 2025. "Variable pay and work hours: does performance pay reduce the gender time gap?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 92(368), pages 1149-1167, October.
    21. Green, Colin P. & Heywood, John S., 2023. "Performance pay, work hours and employee health in the UK," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    22. Joshua D. Pitts & Brent A. Evans, 2023. "New contracts and dismissal threats from highly drafted rookies: What motivates NFL quarterbacks?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(1), pages 4-16, January.
    23. Heywood, John S. & Nießen, Anna, 2025. "Performance Appraisal and Quits: Does Performance Pay Add Anything?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1687, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    24. Sauermann, Jan, 2014. "The Heterogeneous Effects of Bonus Pay on Performance Outcomes: Evidence from Personnel Data," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100568, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    25. Artz, Benjamin & Heywood, John S., 2025. "Performance pay and job quits," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods

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