A Fast Literature Search Engine based on top-quality journals, by Dr. Mingze Gao.

  • Topic classification is ongoing.
  • Please kindly let me know [mingze.gao@mq.edu.au] in case of any errors.

Relational Contracts and the Value of Loyalty

Resource type
Author/contributor
Title
Relational Contracts and the Value of Loyalty
Abstract
This paper characterizes the optimal contract for a principal who repeatedly chooses among N potential agents under the threat of holdup. Over time, the principal would like to trade with different agents; however, the possibility of ex-post opportunism allows agents to collect rents and creates a fixed cost of initiating new relationships. In the optimal contract, the principal divides agents into "insiders" with whom she trades efficiently, and "outsiders" whom she is biased against. The optimal contract is self-enforcing if the principal is sufficiently patient and can be implemented by an "employment contract" that is robust to asymmetric information. (JEL: C73, D82, D83, D86)
Publication
American Economic Review
Volume
101
Issue
7
Pages
3349-67
Date
2011-12
Citation
Board, S. (2011). Relational Contracts and the Value of Loyalty. American Economic Review, 101, 3349–3367.
Link to this record