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Learning unethical practices from a co-worker: The peer effect of Jose Canseco
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Learning unethical practices from a co-worker: The peer effect of Jose Canseco*

* This paper has been replicated

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  • Gould, Eric D.
  • Kaplan, Todd R.

Abstract

This paper examines the issue of whether workers learn productive skills from their co-workers, even if those skills are unethical. Specifically, we estimate whether Jose Canseco, a star baseball player in the late 1980's and 1990's, affected the performance of his teammates by introducing them to steroids. Using panel data, we show that a player's performance increases significantly after they played with Jose Canseco. After checking 30 comparable players from the same era, we find that no other baseball player produced a similar effect. Furthermore, the positive effect of Canseco disappears after 2003, the year that drug testing was implemented. These results suggest that workers not only learn productive skills from their co-workers, but sometimes those skills may derive from unethical practices. These findings may be relevant to many workplaces where competitive pressures create incentives to adopt unethical means to boost productivity and profits. Our analysis leads to several potential policy implications designed to reduce the spread of unethical behavior among workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Gould, Eric D. & Kaplan, Todd R., 2011. "Learning unethical practices from a co-worker: The peer effect of Jose Canseco," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 338-348, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:18:y:2011:i:3:p:338-348
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Crime, unemployment & peer effects
      by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2011-10-20 19:18:18
    2. Evidence for peer effects
      by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2008-06-25 14:28:45

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    3. Lackner, Mario & Sonnabend, Hendrik, 2021. "Coping with advantageous inequity—Field evidence from professional penalty kicking," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Horrace, William C. & Liu, Xiaodong & Patacchini, Eleonora, 2016. "Endogenous network production functions with selectivity," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 190(2), pages 222-232.
    5. Papps, Kerry L. & Bryson, Alex & Gomez, Rafael, 2011. "Heterogeneous worker ability and team-based production: Evidence from major league baseball, 1920-2009," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 310-319, June.
    6. Vilen Lipatov, 2014. "Compliance Dynamics Generated by Social Interaction Rules," CESifo Working Paper Series 4767, CESifo.
    7. Agnes Baeker & Mario Mechtel, 2015. "Peer Settings Induce Cheating on Task Performance," IAAEU Discussion Papers 201506, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    8. Charles Ayoubi & Boris Thurm, 2023. "Knowledge diffusion and morality: Why do we freely share valuable information with Strangers?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 75-99, January.
    9. Arai, Natsuki & 荒井あらい, 夏なつ來らい & Nakazawa, Nobuhiko & 中澤なかざわ, 伸彦のぶひこ, 2021. "Does Working with a Future Executive Make Junior Employees More Likely to Be Promoted ?," Discussion Papers 2021-01, Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University.
    10. Dimant, Eugen, 2015. "On Peer Effects: Behavioral Contagion of (Un)Ethical Behavior and the Role of Social Identity," MPRA Paper 68732, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Eric D. Gould & Todd R. Kaplan, 2013. "The Peer Effect of Jose Canseco: A Reply to J. C. Bradbury," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 10(1), pages 70-86, January.
    12. John Charles Bradbury, 2013. "Did Jose Canseco Really Improve the Performance of His Teammates by Spreading Steroids? A Critique of Gould and Kaplan," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 10(1), pages 40-69, January.
    13. Kerry L. Papps, 2020. "Sports at the vanguard of labor market policy," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 481-481, October.
    14. Agnes Bäker & Mario Mechtel, 2019. "The Impact Of Peer Presence On Cheating," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(2), pages 792-812, April.
    15. Dimant, Eugen, 2019. "Contagion of pro- and anti-social behavior among peers and the role of social proximity," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 66-88.
    16. Mugerman, Yevgeny & Sade, Orly & Shayo, Moses, 2014. "Long term savings decisions: Financial reform, peer effects and ethnicity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 235-253.
    17. Hattori, Keisuke & Yamada, Mai, 2023. "Closing the Psychological Distance: The Effect of Social Interactions on Team Performance," MPRA Paper 117042, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    Replication

    This item has been replicated by:
  • John Charles Bradbury, 2013. "Did Jose Canseco Really Improve the Performance of His Teammates by Spreading Steroids? A Critique of Gould and Kaplan," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 10(1), pages 40-69, January.

    • More about this item

    Keywords

    Peer effects Corruption Crime Externalities;

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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    1. Learning unethical practices from a co-worker: The peer effect of Jose Canseco (LE 2011) in ReplicationWiki

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