Performance and Managerial Turnover: Evidence from Career Paths of Film Directors

34 Pages Posted: 18 Jul 2003

See all articles by Kose John

Kose John

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance

S. Abraham Ravid

Yeshiva University - Syms School of Business

Jayanthi Sunder

University of Arizona - Eller College of Management

Date Written: January 2007

Abstract

Using a unique data set that covers the entire career path of film directors (managers) and contains project-specific measures of performance, we examine intertemporal patterns in managerial performance and turnover, and test the implications of job matching theories. We show that turnover is initially high but declines in the number of films (projects) completed. Further, we show that a performance metric constructed from the entire career history is the appropriate measure of re-hiring decisions, superior to a measure based on only the most recent performance. We estimate the marginal contribution of directors to the economic success of their films, and we find that this ability measure is increasing in the number of films made. Similarly, the budget or scale of the project is increasing in directors' experience. Overall, our evidence supports job matching based on continuously updated ability measures. Our findings also extend a larger literature on managerial turnover.

Suggested Citation

John, Kose and Ravid, S. Abraham and Sunder, Jayanthi, Performance and Managerial Turnover: Evidence from Career Paths of Film Directors (January 2007). EFA 2003 Glasgow, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=423441 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.423441

Kose John (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance ( email )

Stern School of Business
44 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10012-1126
United States
212-998-0337 (Phone)
212-995-4233 (Fax)

S. Abraham Ravid

Yeshiva University - Syms School of Business ( email )

United States

Jayanthi Sunder

University of Arizona - Eller College of Management ( email )

School of Accountancy
1130 E Helen St.
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
520-626-8489 (Phone)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
436
Abstract Views
3,492
Rank
122,312
PlumX Metrics