This dissertation investigates some of the ways efficiency wages are important to both the U.S. economy and research in economics. The first section develops a model to investigate the likely effects of the decline of references in the United States. Survey data and anecdotal evidence makes it...

This dissertation investigates the use of money-back guarantees in a market for so-called "experience goods" in the presence of repeat purchases. Chapter One analyzes competition between two firms in a game-theoretic model. The choices of quality, price, and warranty made by the firms are...

Economists typically are concerned with a price that equates supply and demand, but in many cases the price is below the market-clearing level and excess demand queued. Although it is sometimes difficult to measure excess demand in real market, we can infer excess demand when we have difficulty...

Historically minority workers have been underrepresented in the higher-skilled, higher-paying occupations. Government mandates, such as affirmative action, can, under some conditions, change that circumstance, but market efficiencies are often sacrificed. Though there are efficiency losses in...

Escalation is generally defined as continued commitment of resources following negative feedback. Chapter 1 presents a literature review. In Chapter 2, a principal-agent model of asymmetric information uses escalation behavior to link managerial turnover and project outcomes. Managers escalate...

This dissertation includes two essays examining issues on the topic of unemployment insurance. Essay one investigates various aspects of unemployment insurance programs in the labor market using a general equilibrium search model calibrated using data from a variety of sources. The multi-sector...