The Evolution of Managerial Expertise: How Corporate Culture Can Run Amok

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2006
Volume: 96
Issue: 1
Pages: 195-221

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

This paper investigates how noisy evaluation of worker skills affects human capital investments and hiring. Individuals distort investments toward skills that most managers can evaluate. Dynamically, when workers become managers, managerial expertise can become increasingly skewed over time, raising investment distortions and reducing output. If firms select managerial expertise strategically, efficient investments can be retrieved when (a) identifying whether workers' skills matter more than distinguishing among skilled workers, and (b) initial investment distortions are small. Otherwise, such strategic design worsens long-run outcomes. Finally, we determine when short-run affirmative action policies are effective.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:96:y:2006:i:1:p:195-221
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24