The Role of Connections in Academic Promotions
利用西班牙集中选拔考试中评估者随机分配的证据，研究发现候选人被熟人评估时晋升概率显著更高，但不同关系类型的影响机制不同：强关系（导师、同事、合著者）主要带来评估偏见，弱关系则可能提升选拔效率。
This paper analyzes how evaluators' private information and subjective biases affect evaluations in academia. We use evidence from centralized selection exams in Spain, where evaluators are randomly assigned to promotion committees. Candidates are significantly more likely to be promoted when they are evaluated by an acquainted evaluator, but the source of the premium depends on the nature of this relationship. Our findings suggest that, when candidates are evaluated by their PhD advisor, a colleague or a coauthor, evaluation biases dominate the potential impact of informational gains. Weaker links, on the other hand, may improve the efficiency of the selection process.