Personnel Management and School Productivity: Evidence from India

56 Pages Posted: 12 Jan 2021 Last revised: 13 Jan 2023

See all articles by Renata Lemos

Renata Lemos

World Bank

Karthik Muralidharan

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

Daniela Scur

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management; Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Date Written: January 2021

Abstract

This paper uses new data to study school management and productivity in India. We report four main results. First, management quality in public schools is low, and ~2σ below high-income countries with comparable data. Second, private schools have higher management quality, driven by much stronger people management. Third, people management quality is correlated with both independent measures of teaching practice, as well as school productivity measured by student value added. Fourth, private school teacher pay is positively correlated with teacher effectiveness, and better-managed private schools are more likely to retain their most effective teachers. Neither pattern is seen in public schools.

Suggested Citation

Lemos, Renata and Muralidharan, Karthik and Scur, Daniela, Personnel Management and School Productivity: Evidence from India (January 2021). NBER Working Paper No. w28336, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3763865

Renata Lemos (Contact Author)

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Karthik Muralidharan

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) ( email )

9500 Gilman Drive
Mail Code 0502
La Jolla, CA 92093-0112
United States

Daniela Scur

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management ( email )

Ithaca, NY
United States

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14850
United States

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