Three essays on time and development economics

Abstract

This dissertation covers topics on time allocation and development economics. Chapter 1 examines professional development (PD) training as a mechanism for bridging achievement gaps both among teachers and among pupils. Employing a difference-in-differences approach, I find that PD training allowed both teachers and students with low performance to bridge the achievement gap. Chapter 2 focuses on analyzing how the satisfaction of both leaders and subordinates relate to the competence and work behaviors of subordinates. The findings reveal that both the satisfaction of leaders and subordinates are significant for professional competence and working behaviors of subordinates. These findings underscore that leader and subordinate satisfaction are not substitutable but rather complement each other in shaping competence and work-related behaviors within an organization. Chapter 3 unpacks the patterns and heterogeneity in the allocation of time to market work, household production, as well as leisure and relaxation activities, with a specific focus on the life cycle of both children and individuals. Through descriptive analysis of American Time Use Survey data spanning from 2003 to 2021, I unveil that time use pattern and heterogeneity evolve throughout the child’s life cycle and individual’s stages of life. For instance, bachelor’s degree (BA) holders allocate more time to work-related activities than non-BA holders, with the gap increasing as the child grows from infancy to age 17. However, they allocate less time on socializing and leisure compared to non-BA holders. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers, employers, and individuals striving for a more balanced and productive life.