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Relative Performance Pay, Bonuses, and Job-Promotion Tournaments

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  • Kräkel, Matthias

    (University of Bonn)

  • Schöttner, Anja

    (University of Bonn)

Abstract

Several empirical studies have challenged tournament theory by pointing out that (1) there is considerable pay variation within hierarchy levels, (2) promotion premiums only in part explain hierarchical wage differences and (3) external recruitment is observable on nearly any hierarchy level. We explain these empirical puzzles by combining job-promotion tournaments with higher-level bonus payments in a two-tier hierarchy. Moreover, we show that under certain conditions the firm implements first-best effort on tier 2 although workers earn strictly positive rents. The reason is that the firm can use second-tier rents for creating incentives on tier 1. If workers are heterogeneous, the firm strictly improves the selection quality of a job-promotion tournament by employing a hybrid incentive scheme that includes bonus payments.

Suggested Citation

  • Kräkel, Matthias & Schöttner, Anja, 2008. "Relative Performance Pay, Bonuses, and Job-Promotion Tournaments," IZA Discussion Papers 3702, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3702
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    Cited by:

    1. Kräkel, Matthias & Schöttner, Anja, 2010. "Minimum wages and excessive effort supply," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 108(3), pages 341-344, September.
    2. Dunhong Jin & Thomas Noe, 2022. "The Golden Mean: The Risk‐Mitigating Effect of Combining Tournament Rewards with High‐Powered Incentives," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(5), pages 2907-2947, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bonuses; external recruitment; job promotion; limited liability; tournaments;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods

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