Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/282136 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper No. 445
Publisher: 
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190 - Rationality and Competition, München und Berlin
Abstract: 
Tournaments are often used to improve performance in innovation contexts. Tournaments provide monetary incentives but also render teams' identity and image concerns salient. We study the effects of tournaments on team performance in a non-routine task and identify the importance of these behavioral aspects. In a field experiment (n>1,700 participants), we vary the salience of team identity, social image concerns, and whether teams face monetary incentives. Increased salience of team identity does not improve performance. Social image motivates the top performers. Additional monetary incentives improve all teams' outcomes without crowding out teams' willingness to explore or perform similar tasks again.
Subjects: 
team work
tournaments
rankings
incentives
identity
image concerns
innovation
exploration
natural field experiment
JEL: 
C93
D90
J24
J33
M52
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
865.77 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.