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Experienced teammates increase productivity in remote work: Evidence from a full remote work company in Japan

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  • Hideaki Ishikura

Abstract

This study examines peer effects among employees working fully remotely. We use panel data from a company that has operated with an entirely remote workforce since its inception and leverage as-if random assignment of new hires to teams as a quasi-natural experiment. We find no evidence that the average productivity of a worker’s teammates affects that worker’s own productivity. However, when team members are highly experienced, the productivity of employees on those teams increases by about 12.2%. In particular, employees with the shortest tenure see an increase in productivity of approximately 26.2%. Furthermore, this effect appears unrelated to the volume of communication within the team, suggesting that experienced teammates can have a positive influence even with minimal interaction, possibly through more efficient, targeted communication.

Suggested Citation

  • Hideaki Ishikura, 2026. "Experienced teammates increase productivity in remote work: Evidence from a full remote work company in Japan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(3), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0342730
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0342730
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cevat Giray Aksoy & Jose Maria Barrero & Nicholas Bloom & Steven J Davis & Mathias Dolls & Pablo Zarate, 2023. "Working from Home Around the Globe: 2023 Report," EconPol Policy Brief 53, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    2. Florian Englmaier & Stefan Grimm & Dominik Grothe & David Schindler & Simeon Schudy, 2024. "The Effect of Incentives in Nonroutine Analytical Team Tasks," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(8), pages 2695-2747.
    3. Charles F. Manski, 1993. "Identification of Endogenous Social Effects: The Reflection Problem," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(3), pages 531-542.
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