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Individual contribution in team contests

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  • Chapsal, Antoine
  • Vilain, Jean-Baptiste

Abstract

This paper empirically analyzes team effects in multiple pairwise battles, where players from two rival teams compete sequentially. Using international squash tournaments as a randomized natural experiment, we show that winning the first battle significantly increases the probability of winning the subsequent one. This result contradicts recent theoretical literature on multi-battle team contests, according to which outcomes of past confrontations should not affect the present ones. Furthermore, we derive testable predictions from a theoretical model in order to identify the effect at play. We provide compelling evidence of an individual contribution effect: players not only benefit from their team’s win, but also value the fact of being individually – even partly – responsible for their team’s collective success. Such an effect is of prime importance to understanding why individuals can make a significant effort when offered collective-based incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Chapsal, Antoine & Vilain, Jean-Baptiste, 2019. "Individual contribution in team contests," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 75(PB).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:75:y:2019:i:pb:s0167487017304452
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2018.07.003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Anbarcı, Nejat & Sun, Ching-Jen & Ünver, M. Utku, 2021. "Designing practical and fair sequential team contests: The case of penalty shootouts," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 25-43.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Team economics; Multiple pairwise battles; Individual contribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D79 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Other
    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management

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