IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/1511.03616.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Moral hazard under ambiguity

Author

Listed:
  • Thibaut Mastrolia
  • Dylan Possamai

Abstract

In this paper, we extend the Holmstro\"om and Milgrom problem [47] by adding uncertainty about the volatility of the output for both the Agent and the Principal. We study more precisely the impact of the "Nature" playing against the Agent and the Principal by choosing the worst possible volatility of the output. We solve the first--best and the second--best problems associated with this framework and we show that optimal contracts are in a class of contracts similar to [14, 15], linear with respect to the output and its quadratic variation. We compare our results with the classical problem in [47].

Suggested Citation

  • Thibaut Mastrolia & Dylan Possamai, 2015. "Moral hazard under ambiguity," Papers 1511.03616, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:1511.03616
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.03616
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jakv{s}a Cvitani'c & Dylan Possamai & Nizar Touzi, 2015. "Dynamic programming approach to principal-agent problems," Papers 1510.07111, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2017.
    2. Boualem Djehiche & Peter Helgesson, 2015. "The Principal-Agent Problem With Time Inconsistent Utility Functions," Papers 1503.05416, arXiv.org.
    3. Patrick Bolton & Mathias Dewatripont, 2005. "Contract Theory," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262025760, December.
    4. Giat, Yahel & Subramanian, Ajay, 2013. "Dynamic contracting under imperfect public information and asymmetric beliefs," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 2833-2861.
    5. , & ,, 2014. "Dynamic contracts when agent's quality is unknown," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 9(3), September.
    6. Larry G. Epstein & Shaolin Ji, 2013. "Ambiguous Volatility and Asset Pricing in Continuous Time," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(7), pages 1740-1786.
    7. Hui Ou-Yang, 2005. "An Equilibrium Model of Asset Pricing and Moral Hazard," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1253-1303.
    8. Tobias Adrian & Mark M. Westerfield, 2009. "Disagreement and Learning in a Dynamic Contracting Model," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(10), pages 3873-3906, October.
    9. Nutz, Marcel & van Handel, Ramon, 2013. "Constructing sublinear expectations on path space," Stochastic Processes and their Applications, Elsevier, vol. 123(8), pages 3100-3121.
    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13348 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Jakša Cvitanić & Xuhu Wan & Huali Yang, 2013. "Dynamics of Contract Design with Screening," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(5), pages 1229-1244, May.
    12. Martin F. Hellwig & Klaus M. Schmidt, 2002. "Discrete-Time Approximations of the Holmstrom-Milgrom Brownian-Motion Model of Intertemporal Incentive Provision," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 70(6), pages 2225-2264, November.
    13. Dylan Possamai & Xiaolu Tan & Chao Zhou, 2015. "Stochastic control for a class of nonlinear kernels and applications," Papers 1510.08439, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2017.
    14. Christopher W. Miller & Insoon Yang, 2015. "Optimal Dynamic Contracts for a Large-Scale Principal-Agent Hierarchy: A Concavity-Preserving Approach," Papers 1506.05497, arXiv.org.
    15. Yuliy Sannikov, 2008. "A Continuous-Time Version of the Principal-Agent Problem," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 75(3), pages 957-984.
    16. Bruno Biais & Thomas Mariotti & Jean-Charles Rochet & StÈphane Villeneuve, 2010. "Large Risks, Limited Liability, and Dynamic Moral Hazard," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(1), pages 73-118, January.
    17. Holmstrom, Bengt & Milgrom, Paul, 1987. "Aggregation and Linearity in the Provision of Intertemporal Incentives," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(2), pages 303-328, March.
    18. Zhiguo He, 2009. "Optimal Executive Compensation when Firm Size Follows Geometric Brownian Motion," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(2), pages 859-892, February.
    19. repec:oup:restud:v:84:y::i:1:p:182-236. is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Yahel Giat & Steve T. Hackman & Ajay Subramanian, 2010. "Investment under Uncertainty, Heterogeneous Beliefs, and Agency Conflicts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(4), pages 1360-1404, April.
    21. Epstein, Larry G. & Ji, Shaolin, 2014. "Ambiguous volatility, possibility and utility in continuous time," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 269-282.
    22. Jaeyoung Sung, 2005. "Optimal Contracts Under Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard: A Continuous-Time Approach," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 1021-1073.
    23. Zhang, Yuzhe, 2009. "Dynamic contracting with persistent shocks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 144(2), pages 635-675, March.
    24. Marcel Nutz & Ramon van Handel, 2012. "Constructing Sublinear Expectations on Path Space," Papers 1205.2415, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2013.
    25. Karandikar, Rajeeva L., 1995. "On pathwise stochastic integration," Stochastic Processes and their Applications, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 11-18, May.
    26. Schattler, Heinz & Sung, Jaeyoung, 1997. "On optimal sharing rules in discrete-and continuous-time principal-agent problems with exponential utility," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 551-574.
    27. Dylan Possamai & Guillaume Royer & Nizar Touzi, 2013. "On the Robust superhedging of measurable claims," Papers 1302.1850, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2013.
    28. Tomasz Piskorski & Alexei Tchistyi, 2010. "Optimal Mortgage Design," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(8), pages 3098-3140, August.
    29. Sung, Jaeyoung, 1997. "Corporate Insurance and Managerial Incentives," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 297-332, June.
    30. Ariel Neufeld & Marcel Nutz, 2012. "Superreplication under Volatility Uncertainty for Measurable Claims," Papers 1208.6486, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2013.
    31. Jaeyoung Sung, 1995. "Linearity with Project Selection and Controllable Diffusion Rate in Continuous-Time Principal-Agent Problems," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 26(4), pages 720-743, Winter.
    32. Hui Ou-Yang, 2003. "Optimal Contracts in a Continuous-Time Delegated Portfolio Management Problem," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 173-208.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Thibaut Mastrolia & Dylan Possamaï, 2018. "Moral Hazard Under Ambiguity," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 452-500, November.
    2. Dylan Possamai & Nizar Touzi, 2020. "Is there a Golden Parachute in Sannikov's principal-agent problem?," Papers 2007.05529, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2022.
    3. Jakša Cvitanić & Dylan Possamaï & Nizar Touzi, 2018. "Dynamic programming approach to principal–agent problems," Finance and Stochastics, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-37, January.
    4. Romuald Elie & Dylan Possamai, 2016. "Contracting theory with competitive interacting agents," Papers 1605.08099, arXiv.org.
    5. Giat, Yahel & Subramanian, Ajay, 2013. "Dynamic contracting under imperfect public information and asymmetric beliefs," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 2833-2861.
    6. Emma Hubert, 2020. "Continuous-time incentives in hierarchies," Papers 2007.10758, arXiv.org.
    7. Jakša Cvitanić & Dylan Possamaï & Nizar Touzi, 2017. "Moral Hazard in Dynamic Risk Management," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(10), pages 3328-3346, October.
    8. Jakša Cvitanić & Xuhu Wan & Huali Yang, 2013. "Dynamics of Contract Design with Screening," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(5), pages 1229-1244, May.
    9. Jaeyoung Sung, 2022. "Optimal contracting under mean-volatility joint ambiguity uncertainties," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 74(2), pages 593-642, September.
    10. Camilo Hernández & Dylan Possamaï, 2024. "Time‐inconsistent contract theory," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 1022-1085, July.
    11. Jakv{s}a Cvitani'c & Dylan Possamai & Nizar Touzi, 2015. "Dynamic programming approach to principal-agent problems," Papers 1510.07111, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2017.
    12. Jianjun Miao & Alejandro Rivera, 2016. "Robust Contracts in Continuous Time," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 1405-1440, July.
    13. Zhiguo He & Bin Wei & Jianfeng Yu & Feng Gao, 2017. "Optimal Long-Term Contracting with Learning," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(6), pages 2006-2065.
    14. Jakv{s}a Cvitani'c & Dylan Possamai & Nizar Touzi, 2014. "Moral Hazard in Dynamic Risk Management," Papers 1406.5852, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2015.
    15. Jessica Martin & Stéphane Villeneuve, 2023. "Risk-sharing and optimal contracts with large exogenous risks," Post-Print hal-04164688, HAL.
    16. Emma Hubert, 2023. "Continuous-time incentives in hierarchies," Finance and Stochastics, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 605-661, July.
    17. Jessica Martin & Stéphane Villeneuve, 2023. "Risk-sharing and optimal contracts with large exogenous risks," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 46(1), pages 1-43, June.
    18. Keiichi Hori & Hiroshi Osano, 2013. "Managerial Incentives and the Role of Advisors in the Continuous-Time Agency Model," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(10), pages 2620-2647.
    19. Camilo Hern'andez & Dylan Possamai, 2023. "Time-inconsistent contract theory," Papers 2303.01601, arXiv.org.
    20. Kerem Ugurlu, 2018. "Dynamic optimal contract under parameter uncertainty with risk averse agent and principal," Papers 1806.01495, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arx:papers:1511.03616. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.