Do tournament incentives matter in academics? Evidence from personnel data in a top-tier university in China

Haifeng Zhang, Junsen Zhang and Yanfeng Zhang

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2019, vol. 166, issue C, 84-106

Abstract: Using unique personnel data collected from a Chinese top-tier university, this paper investigates the net effects of a tournament-type incentive scheme on faculty performance as measured by average student ratings and research output. Two-step estimation results show that an increase in the pay spread between adjacent position levels improves faculty performance in teaching and research. Several robustness checks suggest that this net incentive effect remains sizeable even if a potential selectivity effect is controlled for.

Keywords: Pay spread; Incentive; Tournament; Faculty performance; Two-step estimation method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J31 J33 J44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:166:y:2019:i:c:p:84-106

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2019.08.018

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