Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the governance structure of monasteries to gain new insights and apply them to solve agency problems of modern corporations. In an historic analysis of crises and closures it asks, if Benedictine monasteries were and are capable of solving agency problems....

Purpose – The purpose of this “viewpoint” is to consider the unintended consequences of variable pay and incentive schemes in healthcare environments. Design/methodology/approach – Reviews a series of side effects of incentives. Findings – The paper suggests that pay-for-performance...

A federal, i.e. decentralized, state is superior to a centralized one because it fulfills the preferences of the citizens more effectively. However, it is also faced with major problems. Therefore, a new kind of democratic federalism for Europe is proposed which maintains the great advantages of...

Bruno Frey argues that terrorism has been fought in the wrong way. Instead of focusing on deterrence and preemptive strikes, we should: (1) Reduce vulnerability by decentralizing society; (2) Strengthen positive incentives to leave the terrorist camp; and (3) Divert media attention from...