Rankings, Success, and Individual Performance : Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Type
working paper
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper explores the impact of rankings on individual performance in a setting of professional athletes competing for high stakes. We use data on World Cup alpine skiing for the period of 1992-2013 and exploit arguably random differences in race times to identify the causal effect of ranking positions. Our results document a significant decrease in subsequent performance among athletes who miss prestigious ranks. The analysis of the channels through which positions affect performance identifies an increasing bias in media attention towards successful athletes.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SEPS - Economic Policy
Refereed
No
Publisher
mimeo
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
235030
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
bigshots_v8.7.pdf
Size
770.28 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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