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The Importance of Legitimacy

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  • Robert Akerlof

Abstract

Within organizations, there are typically limits to leaders' legitimacy. This article explores how organizations are structured in the face of such constraints. The concept of legitimacy is formalized in the context of a single-agent moral hazard model. The principal can give the agent monetary incentives; in addition, he can give the agent an order. The agent finds it costly to disobey orders provided they are legitimate. We find that it may be optimal for the principal to take costly actions to bolster legitimacy. We argue that many organizational phenomena can be understood as attempts to bolster legitimacy. Examples include: rejection of overqualified workers, bureaucracy, merger decisions, and above-market-clearing wages.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Akerlof, 2017. "The Importance of Legitimacy," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(Supplemen), pages 157-165.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:wbecrv:v:30:y:2017:i:supplement_1:p:s157-s165.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/wber/lhw009
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    Cited by:

    1. Khemani,Stuti & Chaudhary,Sarang & Scot,Thiago, 2020. "Strengthening Public Health Systems : Policy Ideas from a Governance Perspective," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9220, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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