September 21, 2017
12:45
DOYE 22
The Optimal Length of the Working Day: Evidence from Hawthorne Experiments
Peter Dolton, University of Sussex
What is the optimal length of the working day? We estimate the causal impact of daily hours worked on marginal productivity using data from the famous Hawthorne experiment in industrial organization which exogenously varies the length of the working day and tracks workers productivity. Building on a theoretical model we show that the productivity-working hours鈥� relationship is linear below a specific hour鈥檚 threshold as productivity increases proportionally with working hours; above the threshold, it is quadratic as productivity increases at a decreasing rate with working hours. We find that productivity is maximized at between 8 and 8.6 daily working hours depending on the production process. (Joint paper with Chris Howoth and Mohamed Abouaziza)