The paper presents some recent research that examines, in the principal-agent framework, interaction effects of organizational design and incentives in the presence of asymmetric information and limited commitments.

Unregulated monopolies produce too low quantity levels. When workers participate in decision making, there will be a tendency for the firm to select even lower employment levels than will be chosen by pure profit-maximising firms. On the other hand, the employed workers' incentives to work long...

The article offers a complementary theory for conglomerate mergers. Conglomerate mergers take place to achieve control over distribution channels that otherwise could be used by rival entrants. An entrant with a very differentiated product is accommodated, and an entrant with a close substitute...