The Effect of Manager Gender and Performance Feedback: Experimental Evidence from India 2020-2023
India, 2020 - 2023
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Jul 08, 2026
Last modified
Jul 08, 2026
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Identification
Survey ID number
IND_2020-2023_EMGPF_v01_M
Title
The Effect of Manager Gender and Performance Feedback: Experimental Evidence from India 2020-2023
Abbreviation or Acronym
EMGPF 2020-23
Country/Economy
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| India | IND |
Abstract
We hire 2,228 Indian gig-economy workers for a real-effort transcription task and randomize the gender of the (fictitious) manager as well as the delivery of performance feedback. We find that negative feedback (i.e., criticism) leads to moderate deterioration in worker attitudes, but it increases effort provision in both mandatory and voluntary tasks. By contrast, praise affects neither attitudes nor effort provision. Importantly, feedback effects do not vary between workers assigned to female and male managers. Consistent with this finding, there is no evidence for attention discrimination toward female managers, implicit gender bias, or gendered expectations among workers. By contrast, Abel (2019) employs the same research design in the United States and finds substantial gender discrimination and no effect of feedback on effort. This highlights that the effects of feedback and manager gender vary across different contexts.
Kind of Data
Sample survey data [ssd]
Unit of Analysis
Indicidual
Data collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2020-01-06 | 2023-01-10 |
Data Access
Confidentiality
| Is signing of a confidentiality declaration required? | Confidentiality declaration text |
|---|---|
| yes | Experimental treatment variables have been embargoed. |
Access conditions
Open Access
Citation requirements
Abel, M., & Buchman, D. (2024). The effect of manager gender and performance feedback: Experimental evidence from india. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 73(1), 307-338.
Contacts
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Abel | Bowdoin College | m.abel@bowdoin.edu |
| Daniel Buchman | Middlebury College |
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
DDI_IND_2020-2023_EMGPF_v01_M
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Data Group | DECDG | World Bank Group | Documentation of the survey |
Metadata version
DDI Document version
Version 01 (July 2026)