Competitive Careers as a Way to Mediocracy

Arbeitspapier

We show that incompetitive careers based on individual performance the least productive individuals may have the highest probabilities to be promoted to top positions. These individuals have the lowest fall-back positions and, hence, the highest incentives to succeed in career contests. This detrimental incentive effect exists irrespective of whether effort and talent are substitutes or complements in the underlying contest-success function. However, in case of complements the incentive effect may be be outweighed by a productivity effect that favors high effort choices by the more talented individuals.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: SFB/TR 15 Discussion Paper ; No. 286

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior ; Professional Labor Markets; Occupational Licensing ; Public Sector Labor Markets ; Personnel Economics: Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
• Subject: career competition ; contest ; mediocracy ; Erwerbsverlauf ; Wettbewerb ; Extensives Spiel ; Leistungsmotivation ; Arbeitsproduktivität ; Leistungsentgelt ; Theorie

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Kräkel, Matthias
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 15 - Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems (GESY)
• (where): München
• (when): 2009

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.5282/ubm/epub.13268
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/93826
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-epub-13268-8
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET