Discussion Paper of the Institute for Organisational Economics 2/2016

Fördert sportliche Aktivität den beruflichen Aufstieg?
Michael Müller
February 2016

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Abstract 

Does Sport Activity Foster Occupational Promotion?

Higher wages for employees who are more active in sports have been demonstrated empirically several times before. They were attributed to higher assertiveness and better social skills among other things. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), this study analyses whether active participation in sports fosters occupational promotion or the transfer of managerial responsibility. Personality traits of the promoted employees are also examined in order to determine whether they are in fact better suited for leadership positions. The results show that the probability of getting promoted is significantly higher for individuals that participate more often in sports. Furthermore, personality traits that are more advantageous for leadership positions can be detected in the promoted employees in a higher degree.