Research interests: Strategic human capital, Careers, Organization design, Personnel economics

Working papers

He, L., Zhou, Y.M., Ethiraj, S. “Waiting for Opportunity: A Study of Opportunity Assignment and Employee Productivity in a Restaurant Chain”

  • Revise and Resubmit at Management Science

  • Presentation/Invitations: 84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, 44th SMS Annual Conference, 41st EGOS Colloquium, Madrid Work and Organization Workshop, Lausanne Management and Economics Workshop

[Abstract] This paper studies the differential allocation of opportunities in task assignments as a source of productivity heterogeneity among employees. Specifically, it examines the mechanisms by which assigning employees to perform the same task under a high- vs. low-opportunity context affects their future productivity. Using transaction data from a restaurant chain, we compare servers’ productivity before and after a temporary assignment to a high-opportunity context – serving tables in a high-traffic section with the potential for higher sales and tips. We find that the temporary assignment led to an increase in the servers’ hourly sales in subsequent periods after they were assigned back to low-opportunity sections. Further statistical analyses and interviews suggest that the productivity boost appears to be caused by a combination of factors including skill discovery, learning and motivation enhancement.

He, L., Brahm, F. “The Impact of Matching Managerial Actions with Employee Characteristics on Productivity: Evidence from a Quasi-Random Natural Experiment”

  • Best Accepted Paper at 45th AOM

  • Presentation/Invitations: 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, 45th SMS Annual Conference

[Abstract] This paper aims to causally identify the matching effect of managerial actions with employees of different capability levels, and compare it with the direct effect of managerial actions on employees. Leveraging a reorganization event within a Chilean beverage company that quasi-randomly repaired managers and salespersons, we find that the match between managerial actions and employee capabilities is more critical than the actions themselves. High-capability employees benefit more from managers who emphasize incentives and external development, while low-capability employees benefit more from managers who provide structure and guidance. This study contributes to the literature on manager-employee matching and management practices by demonstrating the importance of tailoring managerial actions to employee capabilities for improved productivity.

Work in progress

Brahm, F.; Tang, S.; He L. The Influence of Middle Managers’ Personality and Cultural Traits during Organizational Change (Draft stage)

Brahm, F. He, L. A Project on Portfolio Diversification and Employee Productivity among Salespersons in a Chilean Retail Company (Data Analysis)

He, L. ”How Pay Disparity Affects Employee Turnover in the Dual-Career Ladder System” (Data Collection)

He, L. “How Social Comparison of Pay Affects Employee Performance: Evidence from Waiters’ Reactions to Tip Comparisons in a Restaurant Chain”

  • Presentations/Invitations: 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management