Every year, there are blog posts and news articles that cover the Myth of March Madness. The myth is the conventional wisdom that there is a significant loss in American work force productivity during the Month of March while the NCAA basketball tournament is being played. The urban legend goes on to state that throughout the work day, individuals spend time visiting websites, watching live or recorded web streams, and posting on Facebook or message boards about the games that have already been played as well as those upcoming. All of these actions supposedly result in a large amount of work lost in all sectors of the U.S. economy.
March Madness Myth Losses
During the 2007 NCAA basketball tournament, the Challenger Gray outplacement firm estimated that businesses lost an estimated $1.2 billion USD during March Madness. The figures the company calculated to reach this estimate were (keep in mind this was in 2007, so the number of workers with Internet access etc are bigger now):
79 million – Total number of American workers with Internet access at work.
22.9 million documented American workers -29% of workers say that they are basketball fans.
13.5 minutes – The average time spent on March Madness websites during the 2007 tournament.
309.3 million minutes — Time basketball fans spent on websites during the tournament.
$1.17 billion — Total lost in productivity (average wage every 13.5 minutes is calculated to be a $3.78 loss).
The Problem with the March Madness Myth
The problem with the March Madness myth calculation is that it assumes employees do not have any dead or free time at work. If you have spent any time in a cubicle environment, you’ll know that this is far from the case. If anything, employees who normally surf Facebook, the Internet, and other websites to fill time throughout the day just shift focus to basketball during the second half of March when NCAA Selection Sunday occurs. Is there some loss in productivity? Sure, but probably a lot less than the $1.2 billion attributed from the 2007 study.
What’s Changed Since 2007?
Now, others who agree with the original assessment on the March Madness effect on the economy will agree that due to the economic recession that resulted from the 2008 housing industry crash, the annual impact of March Madness is much less due to the overall economy being weaker. On a related note; however, the total number of games has increased to include four additional ones that are now part of the NCAA Tournament First Four. Giving even more opportunity to those at work to watch the games and negatively impact work. Smart phones have also significantly increased their capability since then to be able to support live broadcast of games making it possible for those who work at jobs without computers to be further distracted from the task at hand.
Will We Ever Solve the March Madness Myth?
Probably not. The variable factors that play into work place productivity calculations make it almost impossible to really tell the negative impact on the workplace. At the end of the day; however, the prudent manager will take action to ensure his or her goals for the team at work are planned to work around major March Madness events as possible.
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