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A reconsideration of the Jensen-Meckling model of outside finance

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  • Hellwig, Martin F.

Abstract

The paper studies outside finance in a model of two-dimensional moral hazard, involving risk choices as well as effort choices. If the entrepreneur has insufficient funds, a first-best outcome cannot be implemented. Second-best outcomes involve greater failure risk than first-best outcomes. For a Cobb-Douglas technology, second-best effort and investment levels are smaller than first-best; for other technologies, the comparison depends on the elasticity of substitution. If firm returns are not too noisy as signals of behaviour, the optimal incentive scheme corresponds to some mix of debt and equity finance. If firm returns are too noisy, this interpretation is not available.

Suggested Citation

  • Hellwig, Martin F., 2009. "A reconsideration of the Jensen-Meckling model of outside finance," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 495-525, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinin:v:18:y:2009:i:4:p:495-525
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    3. Michiel Bijlsma & Jan Boone & Gijsbert Zwart, 2018. "Competition for traders and risk," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 49(4), pages 855-876, December.
    4. Ron Kaniel & Péter Kondor, 2013. "The Delegated Lucas Tree," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(4), pages 929-984.
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    7. Fabiana Gómez & Jorge Ponce, 2019. "Regulation and Bankers’ Incentives," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 56(3), pages 209-227, December.
    8. Mäkinen, Taneli & Sarno, Lucio & Zinna, Gabriele, 2020. "Risky bank guarantees," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(2), pages 490-522.
    9. Kang, Chang-Mo & Kim, Donghyun, 2022. "Risk management transparency and compensation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Benjamin Hébert, 2018. "Moral Hazard and the Optimality of Debt," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 85(4), pages 2214-2252.
    11. Richard T. Thakor & Andrew W. Lo, 2017. "Optimal Financing for R&D-Intensive Firms," NBER Working Papers 23831, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Mahmoud Sami Nabi, 2016. "Revisiting equity and debt: access to finance and economic inefficiency," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 63(4), pages 393-429, December.
    13. Mario Tirelli, 2021. "On the optimal investment finance of small businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1639-1665, April.
    14. Francis de Véricourt & Denis Gromb, 2019. "Financing Capacity with Stealing and Shirking," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(11), pages 5128-5141, November.
    15. Ingolf Dittmann & Ko-Chia Yu & Dan Zhang, 2017. "How Important Are Risk-Taking Incentives in Executive Compensation?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(5), pages 1805-1846.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial contracting Debt finance Equity finance Moral hazard Risk choices;

    JEL classification:

    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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