In Chan (1996), I suggest that a contest between internal and external candidates for a position within a firm is generally biased in favor of the former to maintain work incentive for existing workers. This implies that a successful external candidate tends to be superior in ability relative to...

In a dynamic model of sports competition, we show that when spectators care only about the level of effort exerted by contestants, rewarding schemes that depend linearly on the final score difference provide more efficient incentives for efforts than schemes based only on who wins and loses....

This article presents a model of labor market adjustments as a sequential process of reallocation among various market and nonmarket sectors. Training costs introduce friction into the process, while fixed costs of working limit work sharing, resulting in unemployment. Adjustments in sectoral...

This article analyzes the choice between internal promotion and external recruitment within the framework of an economic contest. Opening up the competition for a position to external candidates reduces the chance of promotion for existing workers and, therefore, their incentive to work....

Whether in electoral politics or promotions within organizations, players often face the dilemma of whether to enter the contest or to assist other candidates. This article analyzes incentives in a rank-order tournament when the winner has control over resources that he can distribute to his...