Personalities and Public Sector Performance: Evidence from a Health Experiment in Pakistan

B-Tier
Journal: Economic Development & Cultural Change
Year: 2025
Volume: 73
Issue: 3
Pages: 1439 - 1474

Authors (5)

Michael Callen (not in RePEc) Saad Gulzar (University of Notre Dame) Ali Hasanain (not in RePEc) Muhammad Yasir Khan (University of Pittsburgh) Arman Rezaee (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.402 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

This paper presents evidence that selecting better people to work in government and improving their incentives are complements in improving government effectiveness. To do so, this paper combines a policy that improved incentives for health service delivery in Punjab, Pakistan, with data on health worker personalities. We present three key results. First, government doctors with higher personality scores perform better, even under status quo incentives. Second, health inspectors with higher personality scores exhibit larger treatment responses when incentives are reformed. Last, senior health officials with higher personality scores respond more to data on staff absence by compelling better subsequent attendance.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/731673
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-25