Oscar Robertson, Antitrust, and the Fight Against Monopsony Power in the NBA

Labor markets in sports have historically been dominated by the monopsony power enjoyed by owners. In the 1970s, Oscar Robertson argued in front of Congress that “…it’s terribly wrong for anyone to limit anyone’s ability to earn more money.” The data make it clear that Robertson’s wages—and the wages of other National Basketball Association (NBA) players—were indeed limited by the NBA’s reserve clause. Robertson, though, didn’t just make speeches. As the head of the NBA’s Player Association, he delayed a merger between the American Basketball Association and NBA and eventually created the NBA’s free agent market. His work dramatically increased the wages paid to NBA players. These victories, though, didn’t last forever. The many limits today on player wages in the NBA’s labor market suggest that Robertson’s fight has largely been forgotten by today’s NBA players.

Is There a Differential Market Size Effect in U.S. Free Agent Signings? Evidence From Localized Sentiment Trading

We consider three professional sports and examine if there is a disparate return response to free agent signings with small versus big market franchises. After controlling for player ability, contract characteristics, and negotiation conditions, we find evidence of a more pronounced negative small market effect in response to both basketball and baseball signings, and a more pronounced negative big market effect in response to football signings. Our results suggest that differential market size sensitivities are complex, reflecting the influence of factors such as player ability and compensation in ways that are highly nuanced and unique to each league.

Ethics of vaccine refusal

Proponents of vaccine mandates typically claim that everyone who can be vaccinated has a moral or ethical obligation to do so for the sake of those who cannot be vaccinated, or in the interest of public health. I evaluate several previously undertheorised premises implicit to the ‘obligation to vaccinate’ type of arguments and show that the general conclusion is false: there is neither a moral obligation to vaccinate nor a sound ethical basis to mandate vaccination under any circumstances, even for hypothetical vaccines that are medically risk-free. Agent autonomy with respect to self-constitution has absolute normative priority over reduction or elimination of the associated risks to life. In practical terms, mandatory vaccination amounts to discrimination against healthy, innate biological characteristics, which goes against the established ethical norms and is also defeasible a priori.

Free will and (in)determinism in the brain: a case for naturalized philosophy

In this article we study the question of free will from an interdisciplinary angle, drawing on philosophy, neurobiology and physics. We start by reviewing relevant neurobiological findings on the functioning of the brain, notably as presented in (Koch 2009); we assess these against the physics of (in)determinism. These biophysics findings seem to indicate that neuronal processes are not quantum but classical in nature. We conclude from this that there is little support for the existence of an immaterial ‘mind’, capable of ruling over matter independently of the causal past. But what, then, can free will be ? We propose a compatibilist account that resonates well with neurobiology and physics, and that highlights that free will comes in degrees – degrees which vary with the conscious grasp the ‘free’ agent has over his actions. Finally, we analyze the well-known Libet experiment on free will through the lens of our model. We submit this interdisciplinary investigation as a typical case of naturalized philosophy: in our theorizing we privilege assumptions that find evidence in science, but our conceptual work also suggests new avenues for research in a few scientific disciplines.

Review: Eksplorasi Keterkaitan Vertikal Antara Aktivitas Departemen SDM-Strategi SDM Perusahaan

This study aims to explore the vertical alignments between HR department activities and the company's HR strategy. The goal of this study is to ensure how HR activities can be aligned with HR strategies to enhance the HR department works in the context of achieving company goals. The study was conducted by depth discussion of scientific journals that have been written with interactive group brainstorming approach, consisting of 21 students into three groups to discuss and generate ideas about HR activities and their strategic relationships while researchers guide and provide the materialsneeded. The group identified and agreed on seven HR activities including job design; mobilization; selection; retention and separation; performance management; employee training; and compensation, and aligned with each of the four HR strategies identified including the Bargain Laborer; Free Agent; Loyal Soldier; and Committed Expert. The results of the study revealed the relevance of the activities of the HR department with the company's HR strategy. Total organizational performance also be positively influenced by HR activities through the company's HR strategy