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An “Opposing Responses” Test of Classic versus Market-Based Promotion Tournaments

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  • Jed DeVaro
  • Antti Kauhanen

Abstract

We use a systems-based econometric method to show that classic and market-based tournament models are empirically distinguishable since the role of risk differs across these models. Implementing the method using a large, Finnish, worker-firm matched panel, we find support for classic tournaments given that promotions depend on relative performance, the firm’s wage structure is convex, promotion probabilities are decreasing in the number of competitors, performance is increasing in the wage spread, and workers and firms adjust their choice variables in opposite directions when the variance of the stochastic component of worker performance changes.

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  • Jed DeVaro & Antti Kauhanen, 2016. "An “Opposing Responses” Test of Classic versus Market-Based Promotion Tournaments," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(3), pages 747-779.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/684911
    DOI: 10.1086/684911
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    2. Dato, Simon & Grunewald, Andreas & Kräkel, Matthias & Müller, Daniel, 2016. "Asymmetric employer information, promotions, and the wage policy of firms," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 273-300.
    3. Spencer Bastani & Thomas Giebe & Oliver Gürtler, 2019. "A General Framework for Studying Contests," CESifo Working Paper Series 7993, CESifo.
    4. Jed DeVaro & Suman Ghosh & Cindy Zoghi, 2018. "Job Characteristics and Labor Market Discrimination in Promotions," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 389-434, July.
    5. Cassidy, Hugh & DeVaro, Jed & Kauhanen, Antti, 2016. "Promotion signaling, gender, and turnover: New theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 126(PA), pages 140-166.
    6. Ekinci, Emre, 2019. "Discretionary bonuses and turnover," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 30-49.
    7. Juho Jokinen & Jaakko Pehkonen, 2021. "The role of personal and relative job performance in promotion decisions," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 35(4), pages 485-499, December.
    8. Oliver Gürtler & Lennart Struth, 2021. "Do Workers Benefit from Wage Transparency Rules?," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 105, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    9. DeVaro, Jed & Fung, Scott, 2024. "The Importance of Luck in Executive Promotion Tournaments: Theory and Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 17327, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Dickmanns, Lisa & Gürtler, Marc & Gürtler, Oliver, 2018. "Market-based tournaments: An experimental investigation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 294-306.
    11. DeVaro, Jed & Kim, Jin-Hyuk & Wagman, Liad & Wolff, Ran, 2018. "Motivation and performance of user-contributors: Evidence from a CQA forum," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 56-65.
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