Does Work Quality Differ between the Public and Private Sectors? Evidence from Two Online Field Experiments

Abstract Understanding the differences between working in public and private sectors is core to management research. We assess implications of a theory ownership, testing an expectation that work higher quality when performed under ownership status compared company. conducted two, pre-registered, field experiments with routine data processing task workers recruited through online labor market. Workers were randomly allocated information about nursing home as either organization or Work was measured errors made entry correcting pre-existing materials provided them. The first experiment showed fewer public, private, tended make any but they did not correct more existing errors. Exploratory analyses greater effect for those aware organization’s status. To test this apparent sector attention effect, we second 2-by-2 factorial design allocating treatment making salient organization, addition initial treatment. results confirmed combination; who assigned rather than company respective likely perform their tasks without discuss limits findings including organizations could boost done by explicit workers.