Research on the portability of employee performance has been particularly challenging because there are few data that directly compare workers in the same corporations, jobs and industries. Ideally, researchers need information on the performance of an individual at several companies and of several individuals working in comparable positions at the same concern. In addition, longitudinal data with detailed mobility histories of workers are necessary to investigate the portability of workers’ performance. Finally, greater transparency — a labor market in which workers’ performance is observable not only to their own company but to other companies as well — would allow researchers to draw more accurate conclusions about the portability of employee skills and knowledge. All these criteria are satisfied in the National Football League labor market.
The NFL labor market exhibits both high liquidity and transparency in the form of detailed statistics with which to measure individual performance. To investigate employee portability, we compared the performance of star NFL wide receivers and punters who switched teams with that of their counterparts who did not. Wide receivers, we argued, are dependent on company-specific tacit knowledge because they are part of complex offensive schemes relying on strategy, coaches’ playbooks and interactions with other players on the field. (Note: We use the words “company” and “team,” and the words “employee,” “worker,” “athlete” and “player” interchangeably.) In contrast, we deemed... To read the complete article, login or sign-up using the form below.
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