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Bureaucrat Allocation in the Public Sector: Evidence from the World Bank

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  • Nicola Limodio

Abstract

The allocation of bureaucrats across tasks constitutes a pivotal instrument for achieving an organization's objectives. In this paper, I measure the performance of World Bank bureaucrats by combining the universe of task assignment with an evaluation of task outcome and a hand-collected dataset of bureaucrat CVs. I introduce two novel stylized facts. First, bureaucrat performance correlates with task features and individual characteristics. Second, there exists a negative assortative matching between high-performing bureaucrats and low-performing countries. In the aftermath of natural disasters, which may weaken countries' performance even further, I observe that low-performing countries receive an additional allocation of high-performing bureaucrats. I discuss various interpretations of these findings.Keywords: Personnel Management, Public Sector, International Organizations JEL Codes: M54, J45, O19

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Limodio, 2019. "Bureaucrat Allocation in the Public Sector: Evidence from the World Bank," Working Papers 655, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    • Handle: RePEc:igi:igierp:655
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    Cited by:

    1. Federico Crippa, 2025. "Complementarities in Sparse Two-Sided Interaction Models," Papers 2510.22884, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2026.
    2. M Ali Choudhary & Ilaria Dal Barco & Ijlal A Haqqani & Federico Lenzi & Nicola Limodio, 2025. "Subnational Income, Growth, and the COVID-19 Pandemic," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 39(2), pages 362-376.
    3. Amat Adarov & Panizza,Ugo, 2024. "Public Investment Quality and Its Implications for Sovereign Risk and Debt Sustainability," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10877, The World Bank.
    4. Katharina Janke & Carol Propper & Raffaella Sadun, 2019. "The Role of Top Managers in the Public Sector: Evidence from the English NHS," NBER Working Papers 25853, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Mirko Heinzel & Andrea Liese, 2021. "Managing performance and winning trust: how World Bank staff shape recipient performance," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 625-653, July.
    6. Checchi, Daniele & Figari, Francesco & Fiorio, Carlo, 2026. "Salary Caps in the Public Administration," IZA Discussion Papers 18450, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Propper, Carol & Janke, Katharina & Sadun, Raffaella, 2019. "The Impact of CEOs in the Public Sector: Evidence from the English NHS," CEPR Discussion Papers 13726, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    8. Gianmarco Daniele & Tommaso Giommoni, 2019. "Corruption under Austerity," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 19131, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    9. Bedasso, Biniam, 2024. "Ministerial musical chairs: Does leadership turnover undermine the effectiveness of World Bank education aid?," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    10. Agnihotri, Anustubh, 2022. "Transfer preferences of bureaucrats and spatial disparities in local state presence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    11. León, Antonio & Santos, Kelly, 2026. "Political accountability and bureaucratic selection," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    12. Francesco Decarolis & Gaétan de Rassenfosse & Leonardo M. Giuffrida & Elisabetta Iossa & Vincenzo Mollisi & Emilio Raiteri & Giancarlo Spagnolo, 2021. "Buyers' role in innovation procurement: Evidence from US military R&D contracts," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 697-720, November.
    13. Adarov, Amat & Panizza, Ugo, 2026. "Public investment quality and sovereign risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    14. Federico Zampollo & Andrea Ascani & Alessandra Faggian, 2026. "‘Please, don't go’: the role of local public human capital in post‐disaster recovery," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 93(370), pages 705-735, April.
    15. Alessandra Fenizia, 2022. "Managers and Productivity in the Public Sector," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(3), pages 1063-1084, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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