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Sequential Judgment Effects In The Workplace: Evidence From The National Basketball Association

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  • Paul Gift

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecin12186-abs-0001"> This study investigates the impact of past performance evaluations on future decisions involving judgment. I analyze the decisions of highly skilled and highly monitored referees regarding offensive fouls and violations in the National Basketball Association. After testing for equilibrium adjustments in player behavior, findings support a hypothesis of increased referee scrutiny on one team following a potentially questionable call on the opposing team. Results are inconclusive for subsequent changes in scrutiny toward the original violating team. The analysis provides a nonexperimental test of sequential bias on elite employees working under strict performance standards, and suggests a likely role for sequential judgment effects in other areas of economic activity. ( JEL D03, L83, J44, M59)

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Gift, 2015. "Sequential Judgment Effects In The Workplace: Evidence From The National Basketball Association," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 53(2), pages 1259-1274, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:53:y:2015:i:2:p:1259-1274
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ecin.2015.53.issue-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Page, Lionel & Page, Katie, 2010. "Last shall be first: A field study of biases in sequential performance evaluation on the Idol series," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 186-198, February.
    2. Joseph Price & Marc Remer & Daniel F. Stone, 2012. "Subperfect Game: Profitable Biases of NBA Referees," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 271-300, March.
    3. Oecd & Nea, 2008. "Section 123 of U.S. Atomic Energy Act," Nuclear Law Bulletin, OECD Publishing, vol. 2008(2), pages 87-90.
    4. Marianne Bertrand & Dolly Chugh & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2005. "Implicit Discrimination," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(2), pages 94-98, May.
    5. Devin G. Pope & Joseph Price & Justin Wolfers, 2018. "Awareness Reduces Racial Bias," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(11), pages 4988-4995, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael J. Lopez, 2016. "Persuaded Under Pressure: Evidence From The National Football League," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(4), pages 1763-1773, October.
    2. Rhett Brymer & Ryan M. Rodenberg & Huimiao Zheng & Tim R. Holcomb, 2021. "College Football Referee Bias and Sports Betting Impact," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 47(1), pages 91-106, January.
    3. Justin A. Ehrlich & Shankar Ghimire & Thomas R. Sadler & Shane D. Sanders, 2023. "Policy and Policy Response on the Court: A Theoretical and Empirical Examination of the Three-Point Line Extension in Basketball," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 24(2), pages 159-173, February.
    4. Paul Gift, 2018. "Performance Evaluation and Favoritism," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 19(8), pages 1147-1173, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • M59 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Other

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