Motivating from the heights: a field experiment on top managers visiting the front-line

We analyze the motivational effects of managing by walking around (MBWA), a management style that emphasizes managers’ visits to the rank and file of the company. We do so by conducting a field experiment in the retail division of a Latin American bank. We find that branches significantly increase sales productivity following the management visit, an effect that begins prior to the top manager’s visit and persists for at least a month afterward. We also find a higher impact of the visit on high-performing branches. Our results indicate that motivation is a significant channel through which MBWA improves employee performance.