Title: Data-Driven Management Intervention in Vocational Schools in Greece (co-authored with Renata Lemos and Ioanna Pantelaiou)

 

Abstract: Managerial talent is a key determinant of the performance of organizations. This paper studies the introduction of data-driven management meetings aimed at improving management practices and reducing dropout rates in vocational schools in Greece. The program focuses on two key elements: i) the support of management consultants to facilitate discussions and introduce management practices informed by data that may contribute to reducing student drop-outs, and ii) the monitoring of meaningful key performance indicators and availability of a list of students at risk of dropping out of the program based on a prediction model using historical data. The preliminary findings suggest that our management intervention changed managerial practices:  treatment schools were able to provide more of their students with apprenticeships and assigned them earlier. While students in treatment schools are more likely to have more extended on-the-job training, this does not come at the cost of missing classes. Preliminary results suggest that better managerial practices translate into lower student dropout rates. These results indicate that management consultancy may be an important tool to improve public service delivery in government organizations.