Customer‐employee substitution: Evidence from gasoline stations

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economics & Management Strategy
Year: 2017
Volume: 26
Issue: 4
Pages: 876-896

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We document the adoption of self‐service pumps in U.S. gasoline stations from 1977 to 1992. Using establishment‐level data from the Census of Retail Trade over this period, we show that self‐service stations employ approximately one quarter fewer attendants per pump, all else equal. The work done by these attendants has shifted to customers, biasing upward conventional measures of productivity growth.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:jemstr:v:26:y:2017:i:4:p:876-896
Journal Field
Industrial Organization
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24