The Thrill of Victory: Measuring the Incentive to Win

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2010
Volume: 28
Issue: 1
Pages: 87-112

Authors (2)

Bentley Coffey (not in RePEc) M. T. Maloney

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

There is ample evidence that incentive-pay structures, such as tournaments, result in increased performance. Is this due to selection or increased individual effort, and is any increased individual effort caused by pecuniary incentives or merely thirst for the thrill of victory (TOV)? Prior literature has not separated the different effects. We look at performance in horse and dog racing and find that only horses, controlled by jockeys during the race, exhibit performance corresponding to pecuniary incentives, while both respond to selection and TOV. The results show that pay structures do matter. (c) 2010 by The University of Chicago.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:v:28:y:2010:i:1:p:87-112
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26