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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. Edward P. Lazear, 2000. "Performance Pay and Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1346-1361, December.
    3. 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).
    4. Glenn MacDonald & Leslie M. Marx, 2001. "Adverse Specialization," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(4), pages 864-899, August.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Baktash, Mehrzad B., 2024. "Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1524, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    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, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    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, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    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.

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    JEL classification:

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

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