TY - RPRT AU - Lindquist, Matthew J. AU - Sauermann, Jan AU - Zenou, Yves TI - Peer Effects in the Workplace: A Network Approach PY - 2022/Mar/ PB - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) CY - Bonn T2 - IZA Discussion Paper IS - 15131 UR - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp15131 AB - We study both endogenous and exogenous peer effects in worker productivity using an explicit network approach. We apply this method to data from an in-house call center of a multinational mobile network operator that include detailed information on individual performance. We find that a 10% increase in average co-worker current productivity increases worker productivity by 5.3%. A 10% increase in average co-worker permanent productivity decreases worker productivity by 3.2%. Older workers, low tenure workers, and low-permanent productivity workers respond the most to changes in co-worker productivity. These workers free ride in the presence of co-workers from the top quartile of the distribution of permanent productivity. Counterfactual exercises demonstrate how managers could mitigate the problem of free riding by re-shuffling workers into different co-worker networks. KW - social networks KW - exogenous peer effects KW - endogenous peer effects KW - peer effects KW - worker productivity ER -