Document Type
Discussion Paper
Publication Date
10-1-2011
CFDP Number
1823
CFDP Revision Date
2012-06-01
CFDP Pages
44
Abstract
We study optimal contracting in team settings, featuring stylized aspects of production environments with complex tasks. Agents have many opportunities to shirk, task-level monitoring is needed to provide useful incentives, and because it is difficult to write individual performance into formal contracts, incentives are provided informally, using wasteful sanctions like guilt and shame, or slowed promotion. These features give rise to optimal contracts with “empty promises” and endogenous supervision structures. Agents optimally make more promises than they intend to keep, leading to the concentration of supervisory responsibility in the hands of one or two agents.
Recommended Citation
Miller, David A. and Rozen, Kareen, "Optimally Empty Promises and Endogenous Supervision" (2011). Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers. 2175.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/cowles-discussion-paper-series/2175