Olympic relay races are the apex of collaboration. If one individual falters, it impacts the entire crew.

With regards to order, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. Some groups put their quickest runner first, however others decide to place them final. In accordance with USC’s director of monitor and area, Caryl Smith Gilbert, generally you want somebody “hard-nosed” like Usain Bolt (previously the quickest man on Earth) to shut the race. Simply watch Bolt’s closing Olympic relay race and you may perceive precisely what Smith Gilbert means. “It is anybody’s race,” says the announcer earlier than the ultimate handoff. However as quickly because the baton is in Bolt’s hand, the race is over. Jamaica wins by an extended shot.

Think about if runners have been much less more likely to take part in relays in the event that they needed to run final as a result of they figured they’d get much less credit score. That is the case in terms of publications within the area of economics. Researchers discovered that individuals have been much less more likely to collaborate on articles if their surname was decrease down within the alphabet — which means they might be listed later within the byline. The reason being that when individuals suppose they’re receiving much less credit score, they’re much less inclined to collaborate.