PULLMAN, Wash. — Professor Edward P. Lazear of Stanford University and its Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace will discuss “Performance Pay: Incentives or Sorting?” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in Todd Hall, Room 216, on the Washington State University campus.
He is the 2002 Bertha C. Leigh Distinguished Speaker in Economics, the newest lecture series in the College of Business and Economics.
Lazear has taught since 1992 at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he has been the Jack Steele Parker Professor of Human Resources, Management and Economics since 1995. At the Hoover Institution, he is the Morris Arnold Cox Senior Fellow.
He is the founding editor of the Journal of Labor Economics, an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts of Sciences and the Econometric Society and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research is supported by the National Science Foundation. He has published more than 100 academic papers, written a book titled Personnel Economics, and edited and written many books.
Lazear has written extensively on labor markets and personnel issues; microeconomic theory; issues involving worker compensation and effects on productivity; government policies on discrimination, affirmative action and comparable worth; the doctrine of employment at will; distribution of income within the household; and pricing and marketing policies.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lazear to campus as the second Leigh series speaker,” says Duane Leigh, chair of the WSU Dept. of Economics. “Such a renowned scholar and educator will offer tremendous insights to our students and faculty alike.”
Leigh’s father, Roy, of Spokane, in honor and memory of his mother, Bertha, sponsors the lecture series. Roy Leigh and a second son, Alan, from Wilmington, Del., will be special guests at Lazear’s lecture.
During his visit to WSU, Lazear also will meet with faculty and students and discuss at a special presentation “The Peter Principle: A Theory of Decline.” The principle says, “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” It was introduced in the popular 1969 book of the same name written by Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull.
The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception in Todd Hall atrium will follow.
