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The Evolution of Managerial Expertise: How Corporate Culture Can Run Amok

Author

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  • Dan Bernhardt
  • Eric Hughson
  • Edward Kutsoati

Abstract

This paper investigates how noisy evaluation of worker skills affects human capital investments and hiring. Individuals distort investments toward skills that most managers can evaluate. Dynamically, when workers become managers, managerial expertise can become increasingly skewed over time, raising investment distortions and reducing output. If firms select managerial expertise strategically, efficient investments can be retrieved when (a) identifying whether workers' skills matter more than distinguishing among skilled workers, and (b) initial investment distortions are small. Otherwise, such strategic design worsens long-run outcomes. Finally, we determine when short-run affirmative action policies are effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Bernhardt & Eric Hughson & Edward Kutsoati, 2006. "The Evolution of Managerial Expertise: How Corporate Culture Can Run Amok," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 195-221, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:96:y:2006:i:1:p:195-221
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/000282806776157669
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. George Akerlof & Pascal Michaillat, 2017. "Beetles: Biased Promotions and Persistence of False Belief," NBER Working Papers 23523, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Cronqvist, Henrik & Low, Angie & Nilsson, Mattias, 2007. "Does Corporate Culture Matter for Firm Policies?," Working Paper Series 2007-1, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    3. Fiordelisi, Franco & Ricci, Ornella, 2014. "Corporate culture and CEO turnover," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 66-82.
    4. Christian Cordes & Peter Richerson & Georg Schwesinger, 2014. "A corporation’s culture as an impetus for spinoffs and a driving force of industry evolution," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 689-712, July.
    5. Jonathan A. Christy & Zoltan P. Matolcsy & Anna Wright & Anne Wyatt, 2013. "Do Board Characteristics Influence the Shareholders' Assessment of Risk for Small and Large Firms?," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 49(2), pages 161-196, June.
    6. Anne Wyatt & Hermann Frick, 2010. "Accounting for Investments in Human Capital: A Review," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 20(3), pages 199-220, September.

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