Promotions, Adverse Selection, and Efficiency

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2025
Volume: 43
Issue: 1
Pages: 121 - 159

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

We consider how adverse selection affects the efficiency of turnover and postturnover job assignments. In the model, when a high-ability worker is not promoted at the worker’s current employer because of a lack of available managerial openings, it is efficient for the worker to move to a firm seeking a high-ability worker to promote. But this type of turnover does not occur given asymmetric information and adverse selection. We show that up-or-out contracts can be an efficient response to this inefficiency, where our analysis matches several observations concerning real-world promotion decisions and practices related to up-or-out.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/726065
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29