This paper integrates elements from the theory of agency, the theory of property rights and the theory of finance to develop a theory of the ownership structure of the firm. We define the concept of agency costs, show its relationship to the "separation and control" issue, investigate the nature...

Since 1973 technological, political, regulatory, and economic forces have been changing the worldwide economy in a fashion comparable to the changes experienced during the nineteenth century Industrial Revolution. As in the nineteenth century, we are experiencing declining costs, increasing...

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction -- I Corporate Governance and the Market for Corporate Control -- 1 U.S. Corporate Governance: Lessons from the 1980s -- 2 The Modern Industrial Revolution, Exit, and the Failure of Internal Control Systems -- 3 Active Investors, LBOs, and the...