| . | Stock & inventory . | Fixed assets . | Profit . | Sales last week . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | (1) . | (2) . | (3) . | (4) . |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.57 | 0.01 | 0.89 | 0.19 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.28 | 0.02 | 0.34 | 0.62 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.19 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 0.18 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.07 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Sales last 4 weeks | Total costs | Money kept | Household takings | |
| (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.43 | 0.60 | 0.51 | 0.36 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.73 | 0.43 | 0.74 | 0.00 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.22 | 0.59 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.17 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.17 |
| . | Stock & inventory . | Fixed assets . | Profit . | Sales last week . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | (1) . | (2) . | (3) . | (4) . |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.57 | 0.01 | 0.89 | 0.19 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.28 | 0.02 | 0.34 | 0.62 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.19 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 0.18 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.07 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Sales last 4 weeks | Total costs | Money kept | Household takings | |
| (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.43 | 0.60 | 0.51 | 0.36 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.73 | 0.43 | 0.74 | 0.00 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.22 | 0.59 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.17 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.17 |
Source: Authors’ analysis based on own data.
Note: This table compares distributions of first significant digits (FSDs). The first three rows report p-values from Wald tests that the distributions of FSDs are equal across data collection groups. These statistics are obtained by regressing indicators for each of the nine possible FSDs on group indicators in a system of equations, clustering standard errors by enterprise, and testing if the nine coefficients on each group indicator are jointly equal across groups. The final three rows report Euclidean distances (rescaled to be in the interval [0, 1]) between the observed FSD distribution for each data collection group and the distribution under Benford’s Law, following Cho and Gaines (2007).
| . | Stock & inventory . | Fixed assets . | Profit . | Sales last week . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | (1) . | (2) . | (3) . | (4) . |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.57 | 0.01 | 0.89 | 0.19 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.28 | 0.02 | 0.34 | 0.62 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.19 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 0.18 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.07 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Sales last 4 weeks | Total costs | Money kept | Household takings | |
| (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.43 | 0.60 | 0.51 | 0.36 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.73 | 0.43 | 0.74 | 0.00 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.22 | 0.59 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.17 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.17 |
| . | Stock & inventory . | Fixed assets . | Profit . | Sales last week . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | (1) . | (2) . | (3) . | (4) . |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.57 | 0.01 | 0.89 | 0.19 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.28 | 0.02 | 0.34 | 0.62 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.19 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 0.18 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.07 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Sales last 4 weeks | Total costs | Money kept | Household takings | |
| (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | |
| Panel A: Comparison of first digits across groups | ||||
| Monthly = weekly (p) | 0.43 | 0.60 | 0.51 | 0.36 |
| Weekly = phone (p) | 0.73 | 0.43 | 0.74 | 0.00 |
| Monthly = weekly = phone (p) | 0.22 | 0.59 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Panel B: Distance of first digit distribution from Benford’s Law | ||||
| Monthly in-person | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.17 |
| Weekly in-person | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Weekly phone | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.17 |
Source: Authors’ analysis based on own data.
Note: This table compares distributions of first significant digits (FSDs). The first three rows report p-values from Wald tests that the distributions of FSDs are equal across data collection groups. These statistics are obtained by regressing indicators for each of the nine possible FSDs on group indicators in a system of equations, clustering standard errors by enterprise, and testing if the nine coefficients on each group indicator are jointly equal across groups. The final three rows report Euclidean distances (rescaled to be in the interval [0, 1]) between the observed FSD distribution for each data collection group and the distribution under Benford’s Law, following Cho and Gaines (2007).
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