BIDDING FOR TALENT IN SPORT

We present a novel microstructure for the market for athletes. Clubs simultaneously target bids at the players, in (Nash) equilibrium internalizing whether—depending on the other clubs' bids—a player not hired would play for the competition. When talent is either scarce or has low outside options, we support—and generalize to heterogeneous players—the Coasian results of Rottenberg (1956) and Fort and Quirk (1995): talent allocation is efficient and independent of initial “ownership” and revenue sharing arrangements. We also characterize equilibria when talent is abundant (or has a high outside option). The analysis uses a nonspecific club objective with an endogenously derived trade‐off between pecuniary and nonpecuniary benefits.(JEL J4, L1, L2)     

重视自贸试验区建设中的人才开发

建设中国(上海)自由贸易试验区,对人才开发而言,带来的是市场化、国际化、要素集聚的机遇;同时也提出了更新、更高的要求,包括将人才储备作为自贸试验区建设目标实现的前提,将优化人才队伍和环境作为自贸试验区可持续发展的关键动力,将具有国际竞争优势的人才制度作为自贸试验区赢得国际竞争的的重要基础。因此,建设自贸试验区,必须把人才开发问题放在重要地位,要将自贸试验区建成集聚各类人才的枢纽,建成具有国际竞争优势的人才制度的试验基地;要强化人才开发的重要策略,包括集聚和造就一流人才,建设适宜居住、充满活力、和谐幸福的人才环境等。     

The Commodification of International Marriages: Cross-border Marriage Business in Taiwan and Viet Nam

In this article, we attempt to place the issue of international marriage in an institutionalized profit-oriented social context, which is described as "the commodification process". The starting point included measuring the scale of the international marriage market in Taiwan.
Socio-demographic change in Taiwan and Viet Nam has created a market for profit-pursuing marriage agents. Agents scattered in different social spheres have gradually linked to form a profitable industry. Two different industrial organization types have emerged in the matchmaking process to meet different market constraints. As the cross-border marriage market matures, more and more people enter the market, and competitive price, good quality and delivery on time become the necessary conditions for success. In this competitive process, female migrant partners become increasingly commodified to conform to the new situation. They are required to accept reduced prices, to be "good enough" to marry and to be married when there is demand. The social networks of individuals are gradually transformed by agents in pursuit of profit.     

Free Agency, Competitive Balance, and Diminishing Returns to Pennant Contention

This article argues that the 1976 introduction of free agency increased competitive balance in Major League Baseball. The evidence is based on a new empirical measure that captures the key dynamic element of balance: year-to-year fluctuations in team performance. My hypothesis is that diminishing returns to each additional year's "production" of a pennant-contending team reduces the incentive to bid continually for top players. Free agency allows talent to be reallocated more readily to potential new contenders, given that player sales had been restricted prior to 1976. The hypothesis is supported by evidence of declining attendance during contending "streaks."     

“一体两翼”人才培养模式下《财务管理》课程教学改革

所谓的"一体两翼","一体"是以学校培养为主体,"两翼"是以满足面向国内、国际人才需要进行培养为两翼。对于广西地方高校来说,面向国际市场主要是满足面向中国—东盟自由贸易区对人才的需要进行培养。文章初步总结了"一体两翼"人才培养模式下《财务管理》课程教学方法、教学内容以及考核方式的一些尝试,以期对改革财会人才的培养机制起到一定的作用。     

EFFICIENCY IN EMPLOYMENT BASED HEALTH INSURANCE: THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPRA-MARGINAL COST PRICING

Currently, the majority if privately insured individuals in the U.S. are insured through their employers. This has significant implications for competition and the ability qf a "competitive" insurance industry to assure marginal-cost pricing. The central barrier to competition arises when employers restrict their employees' ability to select among insurance carriers. Several models 4 insurer proft maximization are explored which demonstrate that supra-marginal cost pricing is likely to persist euen when the insurance market appears "cornpetitiue."     

Talent flowscapes and circular mobility in a Belt and Road (BRI) perspective - Global talent flows revisited

This article brings the role of talent migration to the discussion of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) mainly focusing on academic talents. We explore the foundation for BRI's talent development as a long-term and gradual process building on policies dating back to China's opening in 1978. China's opening saw an increased number of individuals who could improve their skills, knowledge, and network from China globally or inside China from elsewhere on the globe. These global experiences have resulted in the Chinese government, companies, and institutions' necessity to compete for talent or human resources on a global “market”. We interpret the call for establishing people-to-people connections within the BRI as an intensification of China's existing talent strategy. However, at a micro-level, we continue to find that international talents and returned migrants perceive themselves as outsiders which hinders China's talent attraction policies and results in a circular movement of academic talents to and from China     

THE HAYEK HYPOTHESIS IN EXPERIMENTAL AUCTIONS: INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTS AND MARKET POWER

We report twelve market experiments utilizing a "seller market power" supply and demand structure where two of five sellers can unilaterally increase their profit by withholding supply. The data indicate that both the double auction and posted offer institutions result in traders extracting the bulk of the potential gains from exchange in the market; however, prices generally occur above the competitive equilibrium prediction. Market power in the form of strategic supply withholding does not appear to be responsible for the supra-competitive prices.     

COMPETITION AND BIDDING BEHAVIOR: SOME EVIDENCE FROM THE RICE MARKET

When objects have uncertain value, the net effect of competition in sealed-bid auctions is ambiguous. The risk of succumbing to the "winner's curse" generally causes bidders to exhibit a non-aggressive response in addition to the standard competitive effect. Sellers can influence the size of the nonaggressive effect by responding to the value uncertainty. This paper focuses specifically on individual bidding behavior in a rice auction market in which sellers issue a product-quality guarantee. The empirical evidence supports my hypothesis that such a guarantee negates the significance of the nonaggressive bidder response.     

LABOR MARKETS, INDUSTRIAL MONOPOLIZATION, WELFARE, AND IMPRISONMENT:

Various theorists posit that the rate of unemployment is linked to the rates of both welfare and imprisonment. This assumes a competitive labor market tied to specific controls of surplus populations. This article argues that contemporary labor markets lie on a continuum between competitive (secondary) and relatively non-competitive (primary) structures which creates a pattern of labor market segmentation. Such segmentation is linked with specific policies of incarceration or welfare, depending on the competitiveness of the labor market. Data from a cross-section of urban, industrial U.S. counties test the relationship between labor market segmentation, monopolization of industries, and the rates of welfare and imprisonment, controlling for a variety of other relevant variables. Regression analyses results suggest that as labor market structures become less competitive (i.e., move from predominantly secondary toward predominantly primary labor market characteristics), rates of welfare recipients and welfare benefits rise and rates of imprisonment fall. They also suggest that increasing industrial monopolization raises rates of imprisonment and lowers rates of welfare benefits. These findings indicate that the two major dimensions of economic segmentation (industrial competition and labor market competition) oppositely affect levels of welfare benefits and rates of imprisonment.     

WOMEN ATHLETES AS FALSELY ACCUSED DEVIANTS: Managing the Lesbian Stigma

As the behavior of women athletes is often interpreted to violate gender norms, women athletes are frequently devalued and stigmatized. The present study examines the manner in which such devaluation and stigmatization impact on women athletes and how these athletes manage the lesbian label attached to their sport participation. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with 24 intercollegiate athletes from three Division I universities. Processes underlying athletes' responses parallel Becker's construction of the "falsely accused deviant" and Goffman's conceptualization of "stigma management." Factors leading to false accusation of lesbianism are discussed, as well as the various mechanisms utilized by athletes to manage the lesbian label.     

A part of,yet apart from the team: Substantive membership and belonging of trans and nonbinary athletes

Increasingly, bills and policies prohibit the participation of trans women in competitive sport. The current sociopolitical moment begs the following question: how do interpersonal interactional moments function alongside formal policies and rules to shape trans athletes’ experiences of belonging in sport? Although formal institutional rules govern trans athletes’ ability to compete in sport, informal social sanctioning also denies these athletes equitable, or even de facto, membership in sport. I draw upon two case studies to explore trans athletes’ experiences of membership in elite “women's” sport. I apply Evelyn Nakano Glenn's work on citizenship to consider how trans athletes’ experiences of belonging are influenced by both formal rules imposed by organizations as well as informal social interactions with members of their sporting communities. Inclusion is not synonymous with membership. Trans athletes render visible the ways in which this system functions to contain the diversity of humanity's gender expression.     

工厂外的赶工游戏——以珠三角地区的赶货生产为例

中国沿海地区代工制造产业中的赶货现象挑战了传统的企业组织理论,受制于订单和劳动力市场的高度不稳定,珠三角地区正在兴起的厂内赶货和租户赶货的外包模式与传统的家庭代工模式迥异。赶货代工既不是家庭收入的补充或临时性劳动,也不是产业的后备军,赶工游戏是农民工的自我剥削,工人向上流动的可能性非常低。赶货工与雇主双方在充分竞争的劳动力市场上找到自己的平衡点,这种劳资双方"自愿"达成的合作弱化了工人基于工作现场的反抗,也游离于国家的立法保护体系之外。     

Race and the NFL Draft: Views from the Auction Block

Previous research suggests that minorities are more likely to perceive racially-based discrimination in a variety of settings than are whites, in large part because of the ways their personal experiences with racism shape the lens they use to view the world. We examine a labor market that is typically considered an exception to patterns of racism in employment, the industry of professional football. We interview athletes who attempted to gain employment in the National Football League, a labor market where access to valued positions is heavily restricted by industry practices. Findings from field research and semi-structured interviews indicate that minority workers experience symbolic discrimination during the hiring process. Differential treatment of players reflects stereotypes about minority families and masculinity. Although minority and white players describe much of the actual content of their labor market experiences in similar fashion, their perceptions of these experiences differ sharply, with minority athletes identifying far more negative repercussions.

Optimum Competitive Area: Romania's Economic Integration in Southeast Europe

This paper presents a factual exposition of an optimum competitive area, tentatively referred to as a certain pattern of spatially defined areas conducive to competitive development for industries or firms in such a way that benefits from competition are maximized. This argument articulates around Romania's regional position and concludes that the most valuable source for enriched competitive advantages resides in its integrative process in Southeast Europe. There are economic facts that explain the range of industries and scope of businesses that emerge as main drivers of changing competitive advantages. This economically self-supporting space of competitive advantages basically rests on a set of five observations relative to the following facts: business strategies are more easily conceived; the value chain is more valuably exploited; the role Romania plays as a test market; the existence of spillover effects of political arrangements; and the existence of speculative returns and attractive growth rates of an emergent market. The conclusions take stock of the implications to conceive in specific terms that deliberate policies which would appear as necessary from this economic and business perspective.     

Cooperation versus competition: is there really such an issue?

This author argues that youth sports can move beyond the dichotomy of cooperation versus competition by redefining competition. This can be accomplished by considering the development of cooperative skills and achievement motivation. The article addresses how cooperative skills can be taught within a competitive sport. First, it is important to understand how children and youth understand and process competition based on their developmental stage. Parents need to consider whether a child is mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically mature enough to participate in an organized sport. Readiness for a sport is just as important as readiness for school. Teaching cooperative skills within a competitive context involves a focus on personal development rather than performance. By asking themselves a series of developmental questions, such as, "Is the sport appropriate for the developmental age of the child?" parents and coaches can form realistic expectations of young athletes. Motivation is also a key determinant of a child's readiness for youth sports and competition. Children want to play a sport when they feel competent. It is up to parents and coaches to create a motivational climate that is focused on doing one's best and not on external rewards like winning. Children and youth receive specific and constructive feedback that focuses on improvement in this type of climate. The author also discusses three models of competition: the military model, the reward model, and the partnership model. The partnership model is the approach that balances competition in youth sports. The author concludes by introducing the "athletic square" model as an important and appropriate way to promote youth sports.     

Durkheim,Competitive Interaction,and the “Best”: Explaining the State-Origins of U.S. Olympians

Abstract

Durkheim's theory of the causes of specialization in society proposes that the best performers should come from places with the most competitive interaction. This paper tests this proposition in an arena where interaction is highly competitive and where performance can be objectively measured, organized athletics in the United States. Four state-level indicators of competitive interaction (population, population density, average school size, and racial diversity) are used to predict the number of Olympic athletes developing in each state for the Olympic years 1956, 1968, 1980, and 1992. Net of controls for opportunities in athletics, results show that the number of Olympians developing in states increases exponentially with population, average high school size, and racial homogeneity, as Durkheimian theory suggests. These findings are robust even with controls for unmeasured state differences. I conclude that holding constant opportunity, states with more interaction among athletes produce more of the “best.”     

The health of university athletes: attitudes, behaviors, and stressors

This study examined several aspects of the health of university athletes. Five areas of concern were targeted for investigation: general health background, use of drugs and alcohol, weight and eating behaviors, stress, and use of helping resources. The authors developed a questionnaire and used it to survey 27 varsity athletic teams at a major private university. The incidence of injuries was high; one third of the 247 student athletes surveyed reported sport-related injuries. Alcohol was much more frequently used than other drugs, and use tended to decrease during the competitive season. Significant differences between men and women athletes were found in off-season alcohol and marijuana use. Anabolic steroid abuse did not appear to be a major problem for this athlete population. Issues of diet, weight, and body image were found to be significantly different for women than for men. Although the incidence of bulimia and anorexia was low for both female and male athletes, it was clear that female athletes brought to their sport heightened concern for body image. The authors discuss the psychological and interpersonal implications that these findings have for the adjustment of female athletes. Injury and academics were perceived as the most stressful factors for both men and women, whereas weight and diet issues were a major stress factor for one third of the women. Given these data, specific recommendations are made for health professionals who work with college athletes.     

HEDONIC PRICE FUNCTIONS

Three feasible interpretations of cross-sectional hedonic price regression equations are derived from consumer choice, profit maximization by competitive firms, and market clearing, each conceptual experiment deploying a Lancastrian "new approach" to micro theory. Lancaster's theory is compared with those consumer theories of Houthakker heritage, and some limitations of each are indicated. The assertion that Adelman and Griliches' quality-adjusted hedonic price index is a constant satisfaction index is shown to necessitate interpersonal comparisons of utility, and the possibility of identifying demand and supply functions for commodities by exclusion restrictions on characteristics is rejected.     

Cooperative relationships in competitive markets

This paper focuses on cooperative and relationships in competitive markets. According to economic theory, stable relationships between buyer and seller should only emerge due to some kind of market deficiencies. However, our results suggest that buyer and seller cooperate and develop relationships in a competitive market. In the international salmon industry, importers tend to concentrate their import on one or a few exporters only. However, the importers will occasionally buy salmon from other exporters. This observation indicates that both cooperation and competition will be present in a competitive market. For buyers and sellers there may be efficiency gains by both cooperating and being exposed to competition.