Piece-rate Research Articles

Are some piece rates better than others? Cross-sectional variation in piece rates at a US cotton factory

While piece rates were a common form of payment in manufacturing, historians have rarely tried to understand the cross-sectional structure of piece-rate prices. This paper examines piece rates paid to weavers at a US cotton factory and demonstrates that in most cases expected daily earnings were constant across different piece rates. While some rates did result in higher daily earnings, there is no evidence of gender discrimination in the assignment of such rates.

Impact of work pace on cardiorespiratory outcomes, perceived effort and carried load in industrial workers: a randomised cross-over trial

ObjectivesThis study investigates the impact of different work paces on cardiorespiratory outcomes, perceived effort and carried load (CL) in industrial workers.MethodsA randomised cross-over trial was conducted at a mid-sized steel...

BUILDING QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTRACTOR LIABILITY IN REAL ESTATE HOUSES ACCORDING TO IJÂRAH 'ALA AL-'AMÂL

This article aims to examine the quality assurance of buildings with a piecework system and contractor coverage on real estate houses according to ijârah 'ala al-'amâl. The type of research used is descriptive with a normative sociological approach. Data collection techniques through interviews, documentation, data analysis. The results showed that the occurrence of several post-development damage factors such as material quality, construction errors, extreme environmental conditions. So that it can affect the occurrence of damage to buildings such as damage; structural and non-structural, due to environmental factors, utility systems, improper use and maintenance, humidity, unauthorized structural changes, finishing, exterior and landscape areas, due to natural disasters. Contractor building quality assurance is fully responsible starting from complying with regulations and guidelines, during the construction period the contractor always conducts supervision / inspection on a scale and after the work is completed the contractor repairs defects or damage that arise due to errors in implementation during the construction period. Ijârah 'ala al-'amâl regulates the reciprocal relationship between the parties and the reward in accordance with the agreement, the concept of ijârah 'ala al-'amâl emphasizes to pay attention to the level of quality that must be met and encourages workers to commit to maintaining it. The concept of ijârah 'ala al-'amâl as a whole offers a more structured framework and can provide a stronger foundation for developers to demand the fulfillment of quality standards because the work contract in the context of ijârah 'ala al-'amâl is directed based on the principles of Islamic law and has high legitimacy so as to provide better legal certainty.

An experimental test of gaming incentives

In recent years, many organizations have undertaken efforts to introduce gaming incentives in order to enhance employee effort and user engagement. However, these incentives are not well understood, and subsequently there is a dearth of systematically controlled empirical evidence on their effects, as well as their interaction with other forms of motivation. We present the first comprehensive test of gaming incentives using a real effort lab experiment with a standard lab task adapted to allow the inclusion of gaming incentives. We test the effect of these incentives under two types of extrinsic incentives, an unconditional wage, and a piece rate. In addition, we also measure subject task motivation and explore interaction with intrinsic (task based) incentives. We report three main findings: first, gaming incentives increase effort when extrinsic incentives to exert effort are weak. When extrinsic incentives are strong, gaming incentives have no additional impact on effort, showcasing diminishing returns to multiple forms of incentives. Finally, some forms of gaming incentives are successful in increasing effort among the least task motivated, a property that is similar to extrinsic incentives. Implications for organizations seeking to implement gaming incentives are discussed.

Improving efficiency in green tea production time using lean manufacturing approach with value stream mapping: A case study at PT Candi Loka [Perbaikan efisiensi waktu produksi teh hijau menggunakan pendekatan produksi ramping dengan value stream mapping: Studi kasus di PT Candi Loka

Green tea production activities at PT Candi Loka indicated a time-consuming, which caused process efficiency to be less than optimal. Process efficiency improvements must be made to increase company competitiveness and consumer satisfaction. This research aimed to analyze the efficiency of green tea production time at PT Candi Loka by identifying the processing time required in each production activity, including the time consumption and formulating recommendations for improvement using a lean manufacturing approach using the VSM (Value Stream Mapping) method. There were 30 activities in 6 processes consisting of receiving raw materials, withering, rolling, drying, and packaging. Identification of value streams using the PAM (Process Activity Mapping) tool produced 9 Value added (VA) activities, 19 Necessary but Non-Value Added (NNVA) activities, and 2 Non-Value Added (NVA) activities in the form of delays in the withering and drying processes. In the current state map analysis, the production lead time value was 315.286 seconds. Recommended improvements to eliminate delays in the withering process were to set up the rotary panner machine earlier and increase the number of supervisors, while to eliminate delays in the drying process were to implement a piece rate system. Increasing efficiency was also carried out by improving NNVA activities by adding weighbridge facilities and using a conveyor system. The future state map proposed by implementing recommended improvements resulted in an increase in production time efficiency to 222.356 seconds and an increase in the process cycle efficiency value from 58.95% to 84.85%.

Longitudinal Renal Function Degradation Among Florida Agricultural Workers.

This longitudinal study evaluated renal function and acute kidney injury (AKI) over time in US agricultural workers. We followed Florida agricultural workers from January 2020 to August 2022, collecting blood and urine preworkday and postworkday during five visits. Preworkday estimated glomerular filtration rate function in all participants was lower in summers but relatively consistent over time. In participants who worked almost exclusively in fernery operations (piece-rate compensation), we observed a high incidence of postworkday AKI in 2020 (21%) that increased to 43% by the end of the study. In comparison, 11% of nursery workers (hourly compensation) had AKI, and this rate was fairly stable. AKI risk over time differs according to the type of agricultural work. Piece rate workers who are incentivized to forgo rest breaks and hydration to earn higher wages demonstrate steadily increasing rates of AKI.

‘Thinna’ as a quasi-public space: the case of leather homeworkers in Southern India

ABSTRACT Homeworkers form a significant part of the informal economy in the global South, are over-represented by women, and are defined by their place of work, that is, their ‘home’. As production and social reproduction intersect in the private sphere of the home, a woman’s mobility and access to public spaces is limited and gendered. Within this reality, in the narrow streets of the small town of Ambur in Southern India, women homeworkers stitching leather footwear access ‘public’ entities through their ‘thinna’: a porch/veranda-like structure at the entrance of the house. This article explores thinna as a quasi-public space, arguing that even while spatially attached to a private home, it allows women to place themselves and to participate in the realm of the public. Based on in-depth interviews with 62 homeworkers, I show that women homeworkers utilise the thinna to make themselves ‘visible’ – physically, socially, economically, and politically. They sit here not only for better lighting but also to chat with neighbouring homeworking women, thereby keeping themselves informed on what other women are stitching and their piece rates. They engage economically with the contractor(s), using it to showcase their stitching skills. Here, a local civil society organisation convenes meetings to organise them and here leather company representatives ‘visit’ homeworkers. For homeworkers, thus, thinna provides a public and social space where the professional and personal imbricate.

The game of Ride-Pass in platform work: Implementation of Burawoy’s concept of workplace games to app-mediated ride-hailing industry in Poland

The article provides an argument that the platform is the site of Burawoy’s workplace games. The game observed on the platform used a pattern quite similar to one diagnosed by Burawoy, successfully employing coercion and consent to control the workforce. Control on the platform has a general nature which combines technological, organisational and normative aspects. Work on the app is coordinated by adopting a co-optation strategy, reducing conflicts by enabling mobility, and remuneration from the platform is based on a piece-rate system. Yet, the modern game, labelled in the paper as Ride-Pass, is different from the one described by Burawoy. Due the game is taking place in the service sector, the article argues that it is structured around two mutually connected stakes: working time and self-recognition. The article contributes to the Labour Process Theory, supporting its conclusions with a long-lasting study among Polish platform workers (53 interviews with Uber’s drivers).

Does pay inequality affect worker effort? An assessment of experimental designs and evidence

This paper develops a theoretical framework to think about employees' effort choices, and applies this framework to assess the ability of existing experimental designs to identify the effect of pay inequality on worker effort. The analysis shows that failure to control for a number of confounds—such as reciprocity towards the employer in multi-lateral gift-exchange games (vertical fairness), or the incentive to increase effort when feeling underpaid under piece rates (income targeting)—may lead to inaccurate interpretation of evidence of treatment effects. In light of these findings, the paper provides a set of recommendations on how to improve identification in the design of controlled experiments in the future.

Working more for more and working more for less: Labor supply in the gain and loss domains

We examine labor supply responses to piece rate changes relative to the reference piece rate (RR). In experimental conditions without RR, labor supply increases monotonically with the actual piece rate. In conditions with RR, labor supply increases both when the piece rate rises and falls relative to RR. This non-monotonicity in labor supply responses to piece rate changes around RR is consistent with the effects of framing a given level of income as gain or loss relative to the target level induced by RR: loss aversion makes subjects work more at a given piece rate when the implied income is in the loss rather than gain domain. However, the framing effects disappear when the piece rate could both rise or fall relative to RR.

Source Dependence in Effort Provision

AbstractWe examine source dependence in the setting of effort provision. Our first experiment elicits preference over uncertain piece rate schemes to perform a real‐effort task. Our second experiment elicits effort after receiving an uncertain gift. We vary the probability of winning and the familiarity of natural sources of uncertainty. We show that subjects are averse to unfamiliar sources for moderate or high probability, but less so for low probability. Moreover, effort exhibits more insensitivity to the probability under the unfamiliar source compared with the familiar source. Our findings support the validity and generalizability of source dependence in applied settings.

GLOBALIZATION AND METAL REPOUSSÉ CRAFT OF VARANASI: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Varanasi, on the Ganges River in India, is recognized for its old crafts and culture. Metal repoussé is one of several art forms that reference millennia-old aesthetics and methods. Varanasi metal repoussé had problems and possibilities with globalisation. This abstract explores Varanasi's metal repoussé craft's complex relationship with globalisation, its problems, and potential for sustainable expansion. Globalisation has benefited and hurt Varanasi crafts like metal repoussé. Artists may present their work abroad with greater connection and market access, boosting economic and cultural interchange. Globalisation causes loss of authenticity, mass-produced replacements, and artisan exploitation for profit. Metal repoussé artists in Varanasi battle to preserve their skills and creations despite progress. Globalisation might destroy ancient traditions. Customers want quicker, cheaper goods; therefore, craftspeople must decrease their quality and authenticity requirements to compete. Globalisation has commercialized craft, turning it into commodities. Commercialization devalues each piece's work, ability, and cultural relevance, exploiting artists who are already suffering. Despite these constraints, globalisation may reinvigorate Varanasi's metal repoussé craft. One solution is using digital networks and technology to reach more people while retaining creative expression. Handicrafts are respected more because internet markets and social media allow craftspeople to exhibit their work, engage with buyers, and share their story. Collaborations with cultural organisations, historians, and designers may modernize and experiment with methods. Craftspeople may attract more customers and stay up with the market by incorporating new ideas and design features while keeping their trade. Varanasi craftsmen may benefit on the rising demand for environmentally and ethically manufactured goods by presenting their products as cultural heritage and sustainability. Craftspeople may attract socially conscious clients by emphasising local resources, eco-friendly processes, and fair trade. In today's globalized world, the Varanasi metal repoussé craft has many obstacles but also many potentials for development and creativity. Collaboration, technology, and historical preservation help craftspeople participate in the global market.

Production automation upgrades and the mystery of workers' overwork: Evidence from a manufacturing employer-employee matching survey in China

The automatic production line will alter the workflow and workshop production system, which will significantly impact how the workers perform their jobs. Using employer-employee matching survey data from the manufacturing sector in Guangdong Province, this paper found that production automation upgrades significantly increase working hours. The findings remain robust even after dealing with endogeneity issues. A plausible explanation is that improved general-purpose technology integrated into the production system will damage employees' unique talents by "deskilling". The heterogeneity analysis shows that labor degradation caused by technological change can be effectively mitigated by labor union protection and the accumulation of workers' human capital. Furthermore, production automation upgrades will probably change the way wages are paid, with less use of the piece-rate system. Although workers may receive some wage compensation for overwork, production automation upgrades may have unfavorable consequences (such as mental health, etc.). This study sheds light on how shop floor workers perform their jobs in the face of the wave of automation, offering fresh policy insights for promoting decent work and achieving inclusive growth.

The Creation of a Gendered Division of Labor in Mule Spinning: Evidence from Samuel Oldknow, 1788–1792

The spinning mule was one of the most important innovations in the rise of the British cotton industry during the Industrial Revolution. First introduced in 1780, the mule’s diffusion overturned the traditional division of labor in spinning from women to men. This article produces new insights on this process by examining the business records of Samuel Oldknow, a pioneer of fine cotton manufacturing and an early adopter of the technology during the understudied transition period of the late 1780s and early 1790s, when the machine was still hand powered before the factory system. It demonstrates that strength was the most important factor in shaping the gendered division of labor in mule spinning. Although no direct gender-pay discrimination is evident, men’s earnings were higher because of the physical effort required to operate the larger mules that more easily produced the finest yarns that secured the highest piece rates. Crucially, this shift of the gender division of labor predated factory mule spinning.

Women and Girl Child Labour in the Bangle Industry of Hyderabad, India

The present paper attempts to see the women and child worker in the old city of Hyderabad in the Bangle industry. Women make up a sizable portion of India’s labour force, yet they are paid less and have less secure jobs than men. As a result, many of these mothers choose to earn an income for their families by working from home. Women who work in the informal sector work with minimum pay and hence the girl child is an easy prey to assist the mother in supplementing the income and helping in the household chores so that more time is left to pursue the trade for an income. Our sample includes 100 women respondents and 150 girls. Being in the unregulated, home-based informal sector has made it challenging to organize the employees, leaving the bulk of bangle-makers in precarious positions both at work and at home. The increasing number of children, especially girls, who are taking part in the production of bangles is also a cause for alarm. It would appear that the piece rate method of payment and the fact that the work may be done from home encourage the participation of family members, including children, in the labour force.

‘The same contract that is suitable for your Excellency’: Immigration and emulation in the adoption of sharecropping‐cum‐debt arrangements in Brazil (1835‒80)

AbstractThis paper studies the history of contractual choice in coffee plantations of São Paulo, Brazil. It focuses on the consolidation of non‐captive labour markets in the early phases of the transition from slavery in the country, particularly in the 1840s–50s. Vis‐à‐vis the alternatives of fixed rents and fixed payments per time worked or piece rates, the paper examines the rationale for the adoption of sharecropping arrangements with European bonded labourers. New archival evidence suggests that sharecropping had no obvious productivity advantage over alternative labour–rental arrangements in this period, and that the adoption of sharecropping arrangements resulted from the positional advantage of its first proposers, who influenced later choices of contractual design. A credit‐labour tie‐up long outlived the original sharecropping arrangements, in turn allowing for the immigration of poor and credit‐constrained Europeans, paving the way to insert Brazil into the circuits of mass migration without promoting institutional reforms to attract non‐bonded immigrants.

ANALISIS PENERAPAN SISTEM PENGUPAHAN BAWON PADA MASA PANEN PADI DALAM PERSPEKTIF EKONOMI ISLAM

The bawon wage system is a system using rice reaping wages, namely (profit sharing). the distribution of bawon is 20% profit sharing for Bawon workers and 80% for rice field owners, the wage system applied in bandar jaya village is 5:1. describes a problem by examining existing data in Bandar Jaya Village, Rantau Rasau District and then analyzing it based on the Islamic Economic Perspective. Using the data collection method, observation, interviews, and documentation were found. From the results of this study, it was found that: (1) in Bandar Jaya Village, the bawon system was considered a very suitable wage system compared to daily and piece rate wages. They considered the value of rice to be more valuable than rice. other than that money for rice that has good quality can be made as seeds. And for owning land the bawon system can reduce the risks that might occur, such as fraud and the quality of work and the bawon system also strengthens the brotherhood of mutual help between landowners and Bawon workers. (2) seen from the Perspective of Islamic Economics The "bawon" wage system that has been used by farmers in Bandar Jaya Village, Tanjung Jabung Timur District, is a rice farming wage system that begins with a work agreement, categorized as valid and justifiable, although there is an element of ambiguity in wages because it is not yet known the full yield of the crop. However, the previous rice field owner was able to estimate the yield he would get. With other considerations, the practice of the bawon/wages contract is valid according to Islamic law because it is in accordance with the rules,

A market for integrity. The use of competition to reduce bribery in education

Bribery to attain academic credentials is a widespread problem around the globe. It reinforces inequality and lays the foundation for a norm of undermining skill, achievement, and productivity. One recommended solution is to raise teacher salaries. Even without monitoring and punishment, this could ameliorate the situation by moving teachers away from the poverty threshold and shifting the balance of decision-making forces in favor of intrinsically prosocial motives. As an alternative solution, we suggest a piece-rate scheme that rewards teachers for the students they attract to their schools. Using a game theoretic model and a pre-registered experiment, we compared the two mechanisms. Our results show that a salary increase has little or no impact on bribery, but the piece rate substantially reduces it. The piece rate does this by creating a market that transfers power from teachers to students and thus recruits endogenous forces to reduce bribe extraction by teachers. These findings provide initial evidence for the value of correctly incentivizing integrity. Interventions inspired by these findings would be best implemented in cases where the government cannot reliably monitor and enforce anti-corruption measures.

A Long-Lost Eagle Article Puts Walt and Jeff on the Map

This discovery article claims that Walt Whitman might still have been writing for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle while involved with the Brooklyn Daily Times.  It discusses the thematic and stylistic similarities between this newly discovered piece and other Walt Whitman works. It also raises several questions regarding previously accepted ideas about Walt Whitman's journalism.

Frontline workers' performance in prosocial tasks: evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field in Western India

PurposeFrontline workers (FLWs) constitute a critical part of the implementation cadre within public policies, serving a significant role in the last-mile delivery of public goods and services. FLWs under public programs in low and middle-income countries like India are offered different compensation structures that range from full-time salaries, piece rate honorariums, contractual engagements, to no remuneration. Whilst the rationale for offering different compensations vary, are certain structures more successful in encouraging FLWs to perform a prosocial task? Further, can certain structures encourage FLWs to perform beyond the incentivized policy mandate?Design/methodology/approachInvestigating workers' prosocial effort within policy implementation, the authors conducted a randomized lab-in-the-field inquiry with 344 Anganwadi-based workers (workers under the nutrition policy) in western India. These FLWs were engaged to perform a novel real-effort task that was tied to different incentive structures and their performance was adjudged based on measurable quantity, effort and quality parameters.FindingsResults demonstrate that uncompensated workers invest the greatest amount of effort whilst compromising on task quality, and vice-versa for subjects receiving pay-for-performance compensation. Programs must account for policy focus when offering compensations: volunteer engagement may be counterproductive for quality focus and to the adherence to ancillary task mandates like nature/quality of beneficiary interaction. On the other hand, the distribution of products (like health goods) can rely on volunteer effort.Originality/valueThe study brings together various compensation schemes operating at the field level, under one study using an LFE methodology within the context of policy implementation in India.