In light of recent changes limiting auditors' legal liabilities, we examine the role of audit reputation on the interaction between the auditor and the manager whose actions he is attesting to. This contrasts with the literature that analyses how the firm's owner uses auditor reputation as a...

We examine the effects of moral hazard and adverse selection on the structure of the consideration offered in an acquisition. Specifically, we investigate factors affecting the occurrence of earnouts, finding that when targets have greater private information, consideration is more likely to be...

The need for businesses to react quickly to increased competition, continuously improve quality and provide total customer satisfaction has caused firms to reject the traditional quot;command and controlquot; management style which is now widely condemned as being too rigid and not motivating...

We use a model of information asymmetry and rent seeking to understand why management control becomes easier when a firm makes improvements that are translated into increasing sales. We show that increases in market share can lead to better information sharing if (1) workers make continuous...

Our case history describes the development of three generations of cephalosporins – antibiotics that have significantly reduced hospital infections. Specifically, we chronicle how: 1) Early (pre-cephalosporin) antibiotics were developed in the first half of the 20th century. 2) Drug companies...

Our case history describes the development of Prozac, a blockbuster drug that transformed the treatment of depression – and became a cultural phenomenon in the United States. Specifically, we chronicle the: 1) prior treatments for depression and the research that provided a foundation for...

Our case history describes the development of tamoxifen, considered a “gold standard” treatment for millions of breast cancer patients. Specifically, we describe breast cancer treatments prior to tamoxifen’s development; the initial development of tamoxifen from 1960 to 1973; tamoxifen’s...

Most research into cost systems has focused on their motivational implications. This paper takes a different approach, by developing a model where two oligopolistic firms strategically select their cost-based transfer prices. Duopoly models frequently assume that firms game on their choice of...

This paper provides an economic rationale for modern manufacturing control practices such as the minimal inventories in Just in Time (JIT)systems, zero-defect policies, and continuous improvement. The popular and academic literature contains descriptive studies on the mechanics of these systems...