Race And Employment Outcomes: Evidence From NBA Coaches

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2020

Published In

Economic Inquiry

Abstract

We study the impact of management diversity on employment outcomes using data on NBA head coaches that includes information on the race of each coach and his supervisor. We find that a supervisor is more likely to hire a coach of his own race. We also find that black coaches are less likely to be rehired to a second job within three years than their white counterparts, and that a head coach's race affects the quality of the opportunities he is offered. These findings are stronger for first‐time coaches than experienced coaches, suggesting that observable information on performance mitigates bias. (JEL J0, J4, J7)

Published By

Wiley

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