A recent paper by two economists reminded me that I haven't read the always-entertaining Annals of Improbable Research in a while.
A London-based think tank recently issued the report, "Learning Unethical Practices from a Co-Worker: The Peer Effect of Jose Canseco" by Eric Gould from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Todd Kaplan from the University of Exeter. Combing through years of baseball statistics, the academics conclude that the erstwhile Oakland A's slugger, "had an unusual influence on the productivity of his peers." Of course, Canseco claims in his 2005 book Juiced that he encouraged steroids use among his teammates, in some cases administering the drugs himself.
The research takes a somewhat improbable leap when the professors suggest that the Canseco case offers important lessons for corporate executives, particularly when it comes to accounting practices. "Workers not only learn productive skills from their co-workers, but sometimes those skills may derive from unethical practices," the academics note. "These findings may be relevant to many workplaces where competitive pressures create incentives to adopt unethical means to boost productivity and profits."
Though the professors use Canseco to make a broader metaphorical point about peer pressure and corporate ethics, I wonder if there are any performance-enhancing substances out there that executives can foist on colleagues in finance to boost "productivity and profits." Red Bull in the water cooler?
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