Do virtual, yet informal and synchronous, interactions affect individual performance outcomes of organizational newcomers? We report results from a randomized field experiment conducted at a large global organization that estimates the performance effects of “virtual water coolers” for...

We test the main predictions of the rational addiction model, reconceptualized as rational habit formation, in the context of handwashing. To track habit formation, we design soap dispensers with timed sensors. We test for rational habit formation by informing some households about a future...

In this paper, we examine how connecting to beneficiaries of one’s work increases performance, and argue that beneficiaries internal to an organization (i.e., one’s own colleague) can serve as an important source of motivation, even in jobs that — on the surface — may seem routine and...