Earnings, Performance, and Nationality Discrimination in a Highly Competitive Labor Market as An Analysis of the English Professional Soccer League

Pedace, Roberto

doi:10.1177/1527002507301422

Cited by 39 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…A study of the Australian Football League draft illustrates how this might occur: indigenous players significantly outperformed their draft slots; however, the authors could not rule out that this selection bias might be rational because the recruitment and retention of indigenous players might require additional resources, such as assistance with housing and cultural acclimatization [25]. Similarly, a study found that South American players in the Premier division of the English professional soccer league tended to be overpaid in terms of their effects on team performance; however, this preference for South American players might be rational because the presence of these players, perhaps owing to their stylish play, was associated with increased attendance [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Born at the Wrong Time: Selection Bias in the NHL Draft

2013

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Relative age effects (RAEs) occur when those who are relatively older for their age group are more likely to succeed. RAEs occur reliably in some educational and athletic contexts, yet the causal mechanisms remain unclear. Here we provide the first direct test of one mechanism, selection bias, which can be defined as evaluators granting fewer opportunities to relatively younger individuals than is warranted by their latent ability. Because RAEs are well-established in hockey, we analyzed National Hockey League (NHL) drafts from 1980 to 2006. Compared to those born in the first quarter (i.e., January–March), those born in the third and fourth quarters were drafted more than 40 slots later than their productivity warranted, and they were roughly twice as likely to reach career benchmarks, such as 400 games played or 200 points scored. This selection bias in drafting did not decrease over time, apparently continues to occur, and reduces the playing opportunities of relatively younger players. This bias is remarkable because it is exhibited by professional decision makers evaluating adults in a context where RAEs have been widely publicized. Thus, selection bias based on relative age may be pervasive.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Born at the Wrong Time: Selection Bias in the NHL Draft

2013

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“…However, Szymanski () found evidence of discrimination against black players in the English Premier League over the 1978–1993 period. Pedace () attempted to determine the existence of nationality discrimination in English football, using regional categories (African, South American and Northern European). The results provided evidence of a preferential labour market treatment for South American players.…”

Section: Theory Model and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, racial discrimination in European football leagues has been highlighted repeatedly, both in terms of fan behaviour and institutionalized barriers (Bradbury, 2013;Kilvington, 2013;Cleland and Cashmore, 2014;Dixon et al, 2016). However, over the years, many scholars have investigated player discrimination on multiple fronts using various indicators, and have obtained results both affirming and negating the existence of discrimination (Reilly and Witt, 1995;Szymanski, 2000, Pedace, 2008Frick, 2008;Gallo et al, 2013;Bullough and Mills, 2014;Posso et al, 2016). Yet, most studies have not focused on salary and the relationship between pay and performance as the crux for evaluating disparities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Italians Really Do It Better? Evidence of Migrant Pay Disparities in the Top Italian Football League

Torre

Giangreco

Legeais

et al. 2017

European Management Review

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This study contributes to research on migrant pay disparities by analysing the impact of players' domestic/foreign status on performance‐based pay offered to professional footballers, to understand if foreign players benefit from a preferential labour market. We used information from publicly available data of 275 footballers who played for two consecutive seasons in the Italian league Serie A. We found that the relationship between previous and current performance was partially mediated by the current salary. This result reinforced earlier findings on the pay‐performance relationship, where seasonal performance is particularly relevant. Moreover, our results show that pay discrimination does not indicate a straightforward (dis)advantage for one group, but presents a more complex picture. We have examined possible underlying reasons for these disparities and offered suggestions for further research. We conclude by discussing how clubs and managers could consider incentives to strengthen pay‐performance relationships by being sensitive to the complex influence of players' origins.

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“…Osborne (2006) tests for sustained specialization among players from a given foreign country and finds Canada's trend to produce pitching, while Puerto Rico and Venezuela produce offense. Pedace's (2008) paper on English professional soccer uses a market test approach to evaluate for the presence of nationality discrimination by estimating the effect of team nationality composition on attendance. He finds owners may benefit from increased attendance by having more South American players.…”

Section: Relevant Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%