Legacy on Deck: Skill Transmission and Occupational Dynasties in the Royal Navy
Working paper
Abstract
Do occupational dynasties reflect the intergenerational transmission of skills or nepotism? We use detailed data on the fighting record of the 18th century Royal Navy to show that sons of navy officers are markedly more successful than non-legacies, outperforming in terms of enemy captures by a third.
Voth, H.-J., & Xu, G. “Legacy on Deck: Skill Transmission and Occupational Dynasties in the Royal Navy.” Working paper.