Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/110139 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 8872
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We study the causal impact of network centrality on educational outcomes using field experiments in primary schools in Bangladesh. After obtaining information on friendship networks, we randomly allocate students into groups and give them individual and group assignments. We find that groups that perform best are those whose members have high Katz-Bonacich and key-player centralities. Leaders are mostly responsible for this effect, while bad apples have little influence. Own Katz-Bonacich centrality is associated with better individual performance only if it is above the average centrality of the group. Further experiments reveal that leadership, as measured by network centrality, mainly captures non-cognitive skills, especially patience and competitiveness.
Subjects: 
social networks
centrality measures
leaders
soft skills
JEL: 
A14
C93
D01
I20
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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