RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Prizes and Productivity
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 728
OP 758
DO 10.3368/jhr.50.3.728
VO 50
IS 3
A1 George J. Borjas
A1 Kirk B. Doran
YR 2015
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/50/3/728.abstract
AB Knowledge generation is key to economic growth, and scientific prizes are designed to encourage it. But how does winning a prestigious prize affect future output? We compare the productivity of Fields Medal recipients (winners of the top mathematics prize) to that of similarly brilliant contenders. The two groups have similar publication rates until the award year, after which the winners’ productivity declines. The medalists begin to “play the field,” studying unfamiliar topics at the expense of writing papers. It appears that tournaments can have large postprize effects on the effort allocation of knowledge producers.