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Correlation and relative performance evaluation

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  • Fleckinger, Pierre

Abstract

This paper reexamines the issue of relative versus joint incentive schemes in a multi-agent moral-hazard framework. The model allows a full analysis of the information and dependence structure. An important result is that the widespread notion that greater correlation in outcomes calls for more competition is not robust. First, when the dependence structure is effort-sensitive, the optimal incentive scheme in general mixes elements of relative evaluation and joint evaluation. Second, under limited liability, higher equilibrium correlation tends to make joint performance evaluation more desirable. Examples are provided regarding incentives in firms, finance and innovation.

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  • Fleckinger, Pierre, 2012. "Correlation and relative performance evaluation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(1), pages 93-117.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:147:y:2012:i:1:p:93-117
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2011.11.016
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    Cited by:

    1. Joyee Deb & Jin Li & Arijit Mukherjee, 2015. "Relational Contracts with Subjective Peer Evaluations," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1995, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    2. Pierre Fleckinger & David Martimort & Nicolas Roux, 2024. "Should They Compete or Should They Cooperate? The View of Agency Theory," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 1589-1646, December.
    3. Awaya, Yu & Krishna, Vijay, 2019. "Communication and cooperation in repeated games," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 14(2), May.
    4. Konstantinos Georgalos & Indrajit Ray & Sonali SenGupta, 2020. "Nash versus coarse correlation," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 23(4), pages 1178-1204, December.
    5. Daske, Thomas, 2016. "Pooling hawks and doves: Interim-efficient labor contracts for other-regarding agents," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145951, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Kvaløy, Ola & Olsen, Trond E., 2016. "Teams in Relational Contracts," Discussion Papers 2016/23, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    7. Jarque, Arantxa & Prescott, Edward Simpson, 2020. "Banker compensation, relative performance, and bank risk," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    8. Chen Cheng, 2021. "Moral hazard in teams with subjective evaluations," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 52(1), pages 22-48, March.
    9. Trivikram Dokka & Hervé Moulin & Indrajit Ray & Sonali SenGupta, 2023. "Equilibrium design in an n-player quadratic game," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 27(2), pages 419-438, June.
    10. Kellner, Christian, 2015. "Tournaments as a response to ambiguity aversion in incentive contracts," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 159(PA), pages 627-655.
    11. Alice Peng-Ju Su, 2019. "Team incentives with imperfect mutual inference," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 48(2), pages 687-712, June.
    12. Tong Wang & Seong Cheol Park, 2014. "Livestock Disease Indemnity Design under Common Uncertainty: A Multi-agent Problem," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(3), pages 1396-1409.
    13. Kirchmaier, Isadora, 2014. "Service Organizations: Customer Contact and Incentives of Knowledge Managers," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100418, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    14. Awaya, Yu & Do, Jihwan, 2022. "Incentives under equal-pay constraint and subjective peer evaluation," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 41-59.
    15. Yu Awaya, 2021. "Private Monitoring and Communication in the Repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma," Games, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-10, October.
    16. Ola Kvaløy & Trond E. Olsen, 2019. "Relational Contracts, Multiple Agents, and Correlated Outputs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(11), pages 5360-5370, November.
    17. Trivikram Dokka Venkata Satyanaraya & Herve Moulin & Indrajit Ray & Sonali Sen Gupta, 2020. "Equilibrium Design by Coarse Correlation in Quadratic Games," Working Papers 301895429, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Moral hazard; Correlation; Relative vs joint performance evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law

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