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Relative Performance of Incentive Mechanisms: Computational Modeling and Simulation of Delegated Investment Decisions

Author

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  • T. S. Raghu

    (School of Accounting and Information Management, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873606, Tempe, Arizona 85287)

  • P. K. Sen

    (Department of Accounting, University of Cincinnati, ML 0211, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221)

  • H. R. Rao

    (School of Management, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the relative performances of several well--known and widely--used incentive mechanisms under controlled experimental conditions. The scenario utilized is a delegated investment setting where effort and risk aversions contribute to moral hazard among fund managers. Analytical intractability of the problem requires a computational modeling approach to simulate comparative solutions for specific contracts under different parametric settings. Through a simulation exercise, we consider multiple agents who decide their investment strategy over several consecutive periods. Agents learn about estimation and market uncertainty through repeated realizations of investment returns. In each sequence of periods, a number of different incentive mechanisms based on the agent's communication and/or outcome are considered. Results of the computational experiments are presented. Our results overwhelmingly show the efficacy of the incentive contracts in improving the welfare of the investors. In the presence of an estimation risk, when agents learn from their past performances, the market volatility interacts with the estimation risk that makes risk--sharing arrangements such as limited liability overly important. Paying the agent to assume the risk may no longer lead to the best performance incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • T. S. Raghu & P. K. Sen & H. R. Rao, 2003. "Relative Performance of Incentive Mechanisms: Computational Modeling and Simulation of Delegated Investment Decisions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(2), pages 160-178, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:49:y:2003:i:2:p:160-178
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.49.2.160.12742
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anil Aswani & Zuo-Jun Max Shen & Auyon Siddiq, 2019. "Data-Driven Incentive Design in the Medicare Shared Savings Program," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 67(4), pages 1002-1026, July.
    2. Iris Lorscheid & Bernd-Oliver Heine & Matthias Meyer, 2012. "Opening the ‘black box’ of simulations: increased transparency and effective communication through the systematic design of experiments," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 22-62, March.
    3. T. S. Raghu & B. Jayaraman & H. R. Rao, 2004. "Toward an Integration of Agent- and Activity-Centric Approaches in Organizational Process Modeling: Incorporating Incentive Mechanisms," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(4), pages 316-335, December.
    4. Sagnika Sen & T. S. Raghu & Ajay Vinze, 2009. "Demand Heterogeneity in IT Infrastructure Services: Modeling and Evaluation of a Dynamic Approach to Defining Service Levels," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 258-276, June.
    5. Yan Dong & Kefeng Xu & Yi Xu & Xiang Wan, 2016. "Quality Management in Multi-Level Supply Chains with Outsourced Manufacturing," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 25(2), pages 290-305, February.

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