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Implicit Contracts, Incentive Compatibility, and Involuntary Unemployment: Thirty Years On

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  • MacLeod, W. Bentley

    (Princeton University)

  • Malcomson, James

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

"Implicit Contracts, incentive compatibility, and involuntary unemployment" (MacLeod and Malcomson, 1989) remains our most highly cited work. We briefly review the development of this paper and of our subsequent related work, and conclude with reflections on the future of relational contract theory and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • MacLeod, W. Bentley & Malcomson, James, 2023. "Implicit Contracts, Incentive Compatibility, and Involuntary Unemployment: Thirty Years On," IZA Discussion Papers 15881, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15881
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Ahammer & Matthias Fahn & Flora Stiftinger, 2023. "Outside Options and Worker Motivation," CESifo Working Paper Series 10581, CESifo.
    2. Fahn, Matthias & MacLeod, W. Bentley & Muehlheusser, Gerd, 2023. "Past and Future Developments in the Economics of Relational Contracts," IZA Discussion Papers 16427, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    incentives; legal enforcement; informal enforcement; relational contracts; private information;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • L24 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Contracting Out; Joint Ventures

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