The O-Ring theory provides a framework for analyzing the effects of team production on the emergence of firms in the New Economy. Given risk-aversion of the potential team members, the productive advantage of perfect ability matching in teams suffices to establish an equilibrium which separates...

Adverse selection induces economic limits to market substitution. If quality uncertainty persists in both internet and traditional marketplaces, a second-best equilibrium with parallel market segments may arise. Positive trade in parallel segments implies that the information cost advantage of...

The effect of severance pay on management behavior during a takeover battle is generally ambiguous. Yet, the severance payment completely restraining all influence activities always constitutes a golden handshake. The manager leaving office still benefits from the increase in the merged firm's...

Dem von Presse, Wirtschaft und Politik vorgeworfenen Defizit bundesdeutscher Hochschulen soll mit einem verstärkten Qualitätswettbewerb um den Kunden Studenten abgeholfen werden. Student(inn)en müßten dann allerdings bei der Wahl ihrer Hochschule Kriterien in Betracht ziehen, die durch...

The current study integrates the repeated game approach to implicit contracts and the analysis of explicit bonus rules based on subjective performance evaluation to determine the optimal structure of the compensation scheme for the average white- collar employee. In contrast to previous...

The current study investigates a tripartite incentive contract between an innovator supplying an intellectual asset, a professional assigned to productive tasks, and a consulting firm specialized in recruiting qualified personnel. The liquidity-constrained professional is compensated by...

The current analysis introduces human capital investments which - as all other investment projects - must be carried out given ex-ante uncertain returns. This return uncertainty reflects that particular ex-post ability realizations may or may not induce the possibility to engage in profitable...

Professionalizing the system of control in a still public system implies that the university administration becomes an agent of the academic board of the university rather than serving the interests of the state as the principal. This induced organizational change alters the bargaining positions...