An agent can exert effort to improve the quality of a signal that also depends on his ability. The signal will help him to choose an action, which, in turn will lead to some observable good or bad outcome. Transparency on actions can distort the agent's choices towards quot;smartquot; actions...

We analyse the combined effects of bargaining power, managerial ability/effort, and risk-taking strategies on the choice of hedge fund (HF) incentive contracts, and hedge fund performance. In our model, the HF manager and outside investors first negotiate over the type of contract (asymmetric or...

Consider an agent who can costlessly add mean-preserving noise to his output. To deter such risk-taking, the principal optimally offers a contract that makes the agent's utility concave in output. If the agent is risk-neutral and protected by limited liability, this concavity constraint binds...

We show that concerns for fairness may have dramatic consequences for the optimal provision of incentives in a moral hazard context. Incentive contracts that are optimal when there are only selfish actors become inferior when some agents are concerned about fairness. Conversely, contracts that...

We show experimentally that fairness concerns may have a decisive impact on the actual and optimal choice of contracts in a moral hazard context. Bonus contracts that offer a voluntary and unenforceable bonus for satisfactory performance provide powerful incentives and are superior to explicit...