The Theory of Incentives

Author: Jean-Jacques Laffont
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400829453
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 436

Book Description
Economics has much to do with incentives--not least, incentives to work hard, to produce quality products, to study, to invest, and to save. Although Adam Smith amply confirmed this more than two hundred years ago in his analysis of sharecropping contracts, only in recent decades has a theory begun to emerge to place the topic at the heart of economic thinking. In this book, Jean-Jacques Laffont and David Martimort present the most thorough yet accessible introduction to incentives theory to date. Central to this theory is a simple question as pivotal to modern-day management as it is to economics research: What makes people act in a particular way in an economic or business situation? In seeking an answer, the authors provide the methodological tools to design institutions that can ensure good incentives for economic agents. This book focuses on the principal-agent model, the "simple" situation where a principal, or company, delegates a task to a single agent through a contract--the essence of management and contract theory. How does the owner or manager of a firm align the objectives of its various members to maximize profits? Following a brief historical overview showing how the problem of incentives has come to the fore in the past two centuries, the authors devote the bulk of their work to exploring principal-agent models and various extensions thereof in light of three types of information problems: adverse selection, moral hazard, and non-verifiability. Offering an unprecedented look at a subject vital to industrial organization, labor economics, and behavioral economics, this book is set to become the definitive resource for students, researchers, and others who might find themselves pondering what contracts, and the incentives they embody, are really all about.

Management Theory by Chester Barnard

Author: Kazuhito Isomura
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 981162979X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 119

Book Description
This book explains Chester Barnard’s management theory clearly, faithfully, and systematically. When Barnard published The Functions of the Executive in 1938, it caused a paradigm shift in the research area of management. He aimed to clarify what executives should do, and how and why, as he argued that executive functions and processes are deeply related to specialization, incentive, authority and communication, decision making, and responsibility and leadership. Thus, The Functions of the Executive is essential reading for management students. This book serves as an introductory guide for undergraduate and graduate students to help them understand Barnard’s management theory. In addition, the book enables researchers to understand how Barnard developed his theory. He accumulated a great amount of experience in managing diverse organizations in both the private and public sectors. Then he gradually shifted his focus from scalar organizations, authority, and vertical communication to lateral organizations, responsibility, and horizontal communication. Finally, this book offers businesspeople helpful insights to create an innovative style of management. As a practitioner, Barnard recognized not only the importance of science but also that of art and value. Experienced businesspeople use not only formal knowledge but also their behavioral and personal knowledge, intuition, business sense, value, and executive art to understand the whole situation, balance conflicting factors, and produce creative solutions. Thus, this book also explores the management abilities that businesspeople need to develop.

The Theory Of Incentives

Author: David Martimort
Publisher:
ISBN: 9788122417104
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Economics Has Much To Do With Incentives Not Least, Incentives To Work Hard, To Produce Quality Products, To Study, To Invest, And To Save. Although Adam Smith Amply Confirmed This More Than Two Hundred Years Ago In His Analysis Of Sharecropping Contracts, Only In Recent Decades Has A Theory Begun To Emerge To Place The Topic At The Heart Of Economic Thinking. In This Book, Jean-Jacques Laffont And David Martimort Present The Most Thorough Yet Accessible Introduction To Incentives Theory To Date. Central To This Theory Is A Simple Question As Pivotal To Modern-Day Management As It Is To Economics Research: What Makes People Act In A Particular Way In An Economic Or Business Situation? In Seeking An Answer, The Authors Provide The Methodological Tools To Design Institutions That Can Ensure Good Incentives For Economic Agents.This Book Focuses On The Principal-Agent Model, The Simple Situation Where A Principal, Or Company, Delegates A Task To A Single Agent Through A Contract The Essence Of Management And Contract Theory. How Does The Owner Or Manager Of A Firm Align The Objectives Of Its Various Members To Maximize Profits? Following A Brief Historical Overview Showing How The Problem Of Incentives Has Come To The Fore In The Past Two Centuries, The Authors Devote The Bulk Of Their Work To Exploring Principal-Agent Models And Various Extensions Thereof In Light Of Three Types Of Information Problems: Adverse Selection, Moral Hazard, And Non-Verifiability. Offering An Unprecedented Look At A Subject Vital To Industrial Organization, Labor Economics, And Behavioral Economics, This Book Is Set To Become The Definitive Resource For Students, Researchers, And Others Who Might Find Themselves Pondering What Contracts, And The Incentives They Embody, Are Really All About.This Special Low-Priced Edition Is For Sale In India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan And Sri Lanka Only.

Agency Theory, Information, and Incentives

Author: Günter Bamberg
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642750605
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 538

Book Description
Agency Theory is a new branch of economics which focusses on the roles of information and of incentives when individuals cooperate with respect to the utilisation of resources. Basic approaches are coming from microeco nomic theory as well as from risk analysis. Among the broad variety of ap plications are: the many designs of contractual arrangements, organiza tions, and institutions as well as the manifold aspects of the separation of ownership and control so fundamental for business finance. After some twenty years of intensive research in the field of information economics it might be timely to present the most basic issues, questions, models, and applications. This volume Agency Theory, Information, and Incentives offers introductory surveys as well as results of individual rese arch that seem to shape that field of information economics appropriately. Some 30 authors were invited to present their subjects in such a way that students could easily become acquainted with the main ideas of informa tion economics. So the aim of Agency Theory, Information, and Incentives is to introduce students at an intermediate level and to accompany their work in classes on microeconomics, information economics, organization, management theory, and business finance. The topics selected form the eight sections of the book: 1. Agency Theory and Risk Sharing 2. Information and Incentives 3. Capital Markets and Moral Hazard 4. Financial Contracting and Dividends 5. External Accounting and Auditing 6. Coordination in Groups 7. Property Rights and Fairness 8. Agency Costs.

Incentives

Author: Donald E. Campbell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107035244
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 699

Book Description
This book examines incentives at work to see how and how well coordination is achieved by motivating individual decision makers.

A Theory of Incentives in Procurement and Regulation

Author: Jean-Jacques Laffont
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262121743
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 746

Book Description
Based on their work in the application of principal-agent theory to questions of regulation, Laffont and Tirole develop a synthetic approach to this field, focusing on the regulation of natural monopolies such as military contractors, utility companies and transportation authorities.

The Principal Agent Model

Author: Jean-Jacques Laffont
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 726

Book Description
The economics of asymmetric information has been the most important new tool of economic analysis and has proved powerful in explaining many aspects of the functioning of the economy. This anthology brings together every major paper in the field.

Equality, Moral Incentives, and the Market

Author: Joseph H. Carens
Publisher: Joseph H. Carens
ISBN: 0226092690
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description
The book argues that by relying on moral incentives it is possible, in principle, to separate the organizational advantages of the market from its distributional disadvantages. In theory, we can imagine a politico-economic system that distributes income equally (or on some other principle) but has all the efficiency characteristics of a capitalist market system. This shows that the market can provide an institutional mechanism for realizing ideals of distributive justice. The book provides a theoretical model of the system, identifying its requirements. It then offers arguments from empirical social science about why the model should work under appropriate conditions.

Contract Theory

Author: Patrick Bolton
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262025768
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 746

Book Description
A comprehensive introduction to contract theory, emphasizing common themes and methodologies as well as applications in key areas. Despite the vast research literature on topics relating to contract theory, only a few of the field's core ideas are covered in microeconomics textbooks. This long-awaited book fills the need for a comprehensive textbook on contract theory suitable for use at the graduate and advanced undergraduate levels. It covers the areas of agency theory, information economics, and organization theory, highlighting common themes and methodologies and presenting the main ideas in an accessible way. It also presents many applications in all areas of economics, especially labor economics, industrial organization, and corporate finance. The book emphasizes applications rather than general theorems while providing self-contained, intuitive treatment of the simple models analyzed. In this way, it can also serve as a reference for researchers interested in building contract-theoretic models in applied contexts.The book covers all the major topics in contract theory taught in most graduate courses. It begins by discussing such basic ideas in incentive and information theory as screening, signaling, and moral hazard. Subsequent sections treat multilateral contracting with private information or hidden actions, covering auction theory, bilateral trade under private information, and the theory of the internal organization of firms; long-term contracts with private information or hidden actions; and incomplete contracts, the theory of ownership and control, and contracting with externalities. Each chapter ends with a guide to the relevant literature. Exercises appear in a separate chapter at the end of the book.

Incentives and Political Economy

Author: Jean-Jacques Laffont
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191522228
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
Mainstream economics has only recently recognized the need to incorporate political constraints into economic analysis intended for policy advisors. "Incentives and Political Economy" uses recent advances in contract theory to build a normative approach to constitutional design in economic environments. It is written by one of Europe's leading theorists. The first part of the book remains in the tradition of benevolent constitutional design with complete contracting. It treats politicians as informed supervisors and studies how the Constitution should control them, in particular to avoid capture by interest groups. Incentive theories for the separation of powers or systems of checks and balances are developed. The second part of the book recognizes the incompleteness of the constitutional contract which leaves a lot of discretion to the politicians selected by the electoral process. Asymmetric information associates information rents with economic policies and the political game becomes a game of costly redistribution of those rents. Professor Laffont investigates the trade-offs between an inflexible constitution which leaves little discretion to politicians but sacrifices ex post efficiency and a constitution weighted towards ex post efficiency but also giving considerable discretion to politicians to pursue private agendas. The final part of the book reconsiders the modeling of collusion given asymmetric information. It proposes a new approach to characterizing incentives constraints for group behaviour when asymmetric information is non-verifiable. This provides a methodology to characterize the optimal constitutional response to activities of interest groups and to study the design of any institutions in which group behavior is important.