<i>Hold</i> <i>Your Horses</i>: Temporal Multiplexity and Conflict Moderation in the Palio di Siena (1743–2010)

Operti, Elisa; Lampronti, Shemuel; Sgourev, Stoyan V.

doi:10.1287/orsc.2019.1283

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(101 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In circumstances where a rival stands a good chance of victory, the chosen strategy may be to direct effort towards thwarting the rival during the race, rather than aiming to win themselves. This is possible through deals (Section 2), in particular with allied contrade, which can be relied upon to make advantageous agreements (Operti, Lampronti, and Sgourev 2020). Aggression (e.g.…”

Section: Relationships Between the Contradementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aggression (e.g. altercations during or after the race) is more common between rival than allied pairsboth for members and for jockeys (Drechsler 2006;Operti, Lampronti, and Sgourev 2020).…”

Section: Relationships Between the Contradementioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 The palio and the contrade have received considerable attention across a range of disciplines, including anthropology, history, and sociology (e.g. Boos 2020; Cecchini and Neri 1958;Crociani-Windland 2011;Drechsler 2006;Dundes and Falassi 1984;Handelman 1998;Heywood 1899;Operti, Lampronti, and Sgourev 2020;Park 1992;Parsons 2004;Pomponio Logan 1978;Silverman 1979;Solinas 1987;Warner 2004). Overall, this literature has tended to focus on the palio rather than on the contrade themselves, and it is largely qualitative.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…cazzotti, lit. "punches") regularly occur around the period of the palio, when competition intensifies (Drechsler 2006;Operti, Lampronti, and Sgourev 2020). The current palio format developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Dundes and Falassi 1984:23), but competitive events linked to distinct local groups are documented as early as the twelfth century (Hook 1979:223).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Group dynamics in the contrada communities of Siena, Italy

Kenny¹,

Fortunato²

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The palio of Siena, Italy, is a bareback horse race held in the city’s central square twice a year over the summer months. Over the centuries, this phenomenon has attracted the attention of scholars and visitors alike — perhaps more so than the 17 contrade, the city’s territorial communities that participate in the event. Our aim is twofold. First, we provide a primer on the contemporary contrada system. Second, we describe systematically the relationships between contrada pairs, which can be classified into one of three types: alliance, neutral relationship, and rivalry. To this end, we draw on published materials and on recent field-based research, including a cross-contrada survey of over 500 contrada members, a psychological item measuring the attitude of members towards the contrade, and the analysis of GPS data from an annual ritual. We find that membership size varies from a few hundred to several thousand individuals, a majority of whom are members from birth with familial and social ties within the contrada. We also find patterned variation with respect to relationship type in the attitude of contrada members, as well as in ritualized behaviour. We highlight the importance of the contrada phenomenon and the impact of group relationship on perceptions and behaviour.

show abstract

Section: Relationships Between the Contradementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Relationships Between the Contradementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Group dynamics in the contrada communities of Siena, Italy

Kenny¹,

Fortunato²

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A district in Siena is akin to a microstate, with a distinctive identity: a small, cohesive community with established territorial boundaries, government, and loyalty-promoting symbols. 18 The Palio is more than a horse race: it is the galloping heart of a city that lives with the race for the whole year. 19 The Sienese do not pick their contrada; they are born into it.…”

Section: Rivalry In Competitive Labor Markets: Insights From the Palio DI Sienamentioning

confidence: 99%

Choose Your Enemies Well: Mapping, Managing, and Leveraging Rivalry

Operti

Sgourev

Lampronti

2021

California Management Review

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is an important constraint that can be used to regulate mobility in competitive labor markets—the existence of a deeply felt rivalry between employers. Rivalry denotes a stable antagonistic relationship between companies, as exemplified by Apple and IBM in the 1980s. Analyzing data from the Palio di Siena (an ancient horse race in Siena, Italy), this article shows that direct moves between rivals are rare, accounting for less than 2% of all career moves in this context between 1743 and 2011. Rivalry constrains not only direct but also indirect moves to the ally of a rival or the rival of an ally. This article presents a framework describing how managers can harness rivalry: mapping rivalry, managing rivalry to capitalize on its positive aspects, and leveraging rivalry to adjust the level of competitive intensity.

show abstract