Principal-agent models are pervasive in theoretical and applied economics, but their analysis has largely been limited to the ``first-order approach'' (FOA) where incentive compatibility is replaced by a first-order condition. This paper presents a new approach to solving a wide class of...

Using the cross-regional data, this paper shows that trust has a strong effect on uneven development of economy in China. As is discovered in many studies, it is found that trust affects the growth of economy, size distribution of enterprise, and FDI inflow and so on. We also find that...

Chapter 1 develops a non-parametric methodology for identifying contract optimality in the presence of moral hazard. Following the first order approach, a standard method of computing optimal contracts, the paper first proves two theoretical properties of the solutions to the moral hazard...

Rotating Savings and Credit Association (Rosca) is an important informal financial institution in many parts of the world used by participants to share income risks. What is the role of Rosca when formal credit market is introduced? We develop a model in which risk-averse participants attempt to...

Rotating Savings and Credit Association (Rosca) is an important informal financial institution in many parts of the world used by participants to share income risks. What is the role of Rosca when formal credit market is introduced? We develop a model in which risk-averse participants attempt...

A firm hires an agent (e.g., store manager) to undertake both operational and marketing tasks. Marketing tasks boost demand, but for demand to translate into sales, operational effort is required to maintain adequate inventory. The firm designs a compensation plan to induce the agent to put...

In the mobile video games industry, in-app purchases are a major source of revenue. A common in-app purchase is for additional "moves" or "time" in puzzle games. We call these in-app purchases "bonus actions". In some games, bonus actions can only be purchased in advance of attempting a level of...

Rotating Savings and Credit Association (Rosca) is an important informal financial institution in many parts of the world used by participants to share income risks. What is the role of Rosca when formal credit market is introduced? We develop a model in which risk-averse participants attempt to...

This paper studies a class of ranking and selection problems faced by a company that wants to identify the most preferred product out of a finite set of alternatives when consumer preferences are a priori unknown. The only information available is that consumer preferences satisfy two key...

Using the cross-regional data, this paper shows that trust has a strong effect on uneven development of economy in China. As is discovered in many studies, it is found that trust affects the growth of economy, size distribution of enterprise, and FDI inflow and so on. We also find that...