Heterogeneous Contestants and Effort Provision in Tournaments - an Empirical Investigation with Professional Sports Data

Arbeitspapier

We empirically investigate if tournaments between heterogeneous contestants are less intense. To test our hypotheses we use professional sports data from the TOYOTA Handball-Bundesliga, the major handball league in Germany. Using either differences in betting odds or rankings to measure ability differences, our results support standard tournament theory as we find a highly significant negative impact of the matchup's heterogeneity on joint teame efforts. However, further analysis shows that this overall decrease in efforts is almost entirely driven by the reaction of the ex-ante favorite team.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: SFB/TR 15 Discussion Paper ; No. 325

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Compensation Packages; Payment Methods ; Labor Contracts ; Personnel Economics: Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects
• Subject: tournament ; heterogeneity ; incentives ; sportseconomics ; Extensives Spiel ; Arbeitsgruppe ; Leistungsmotivation ; Arbeitsleistung ; Ballsport ; Professioneller Sport ; Deutschland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Berger, Johannes ; Nieken, Petra
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 15 - Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems (GESY)
• (where): München
• (when): 2010

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.5282/ubm/epub.13229
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/93935
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-epub-13229-5
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET