%0 Report
        %A Belot, Michèle
%A Hakimov, Rustamdjan
        %T The Value of Bonding at Work: Evidence from a Field Experiment
        %D 2025
        %8 2025 Jul
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 17987
        %U https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp17987
        %X This study examines the effects of structured social activities on workplace collegiality and performance in a large white-collar firm with 100 geographically dispersed offices. In a randomized controlled trial, half of the offices received subsidies to organize biweekly social events over a three-month period—including picnics, movie nights, and team games. We find that the intervention strengthens collegiality, enhances workplace friendships, and improves office-level performance. We do not detect an impact on individual productivity, but turnover appears to have fallen in the short-run, meaning that employees stayed longer in the job. We explore possible mechanisms and identify a sense of gratitude and reciprocity toward the company as the most likely mechanism driving the effects.
        %K bonding
%K climate
%K workplace collegiality
%K field experiment