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Institutions, bargaining power and labor shares

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  • Bental, Benjamin
  • Demougin, Dominique M.

Abstract

We use a static framework characterized by both moral hazard and holdup problems. In the model the optimal allocation of bargaining power balances these frictions. We examine the impact of improved monitoring on that optimal allocation and its impact upon effort, investment, profits and rents. The model's predictions are consistent with the recent evolution of labor shares, wages per efficiency units and the ratio of labor in efficiency units to capital in several OECD countries. The model suggests further that improvement in monitoring may also play a key role in understanding opposition to institutional reforms in the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Bental, Benjamin & Demougin, Dominique M., 2006. "Institutions, bargaining power and labor shares," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2006-009, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:sfb649:sfb649dp2006-009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Brada, Josef C., 2013. "The distribution of income between labor and capital is not stable: But why is that so and why does it matter?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 333-344.
    2. Erkki Koskela & Ronnie Schöb, 2012. "Tax Progression under Collective Wage Bargaining and Individual Effort Determination," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 749-771, July.
    3. repec:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2006-027 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Deffains, Bruno & Demougin, Dominique M., 2006. "Institutional competition, political process and holdup," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2006-027, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    5. Deffains, Bruno & Demougin, Dominique M., 2006. "Governance: Who controls matters," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2006-053, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    6. Bental, Benjamin & Demougin, Dominique, 2008. "Do factor shares reflect technology?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 1329-1334, September.
    7. Deffains, Bruno & Demougin, Dominique, 2008. "Legal competition, political process and irreversible investment decisions," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 615-627, September.
    8. Josef C. Brada & El-hadj Bah, 2014. "Growing Income Inequality as a Challenge to 21st Century Capitalism," a/ Working Papers Series 1402, Italian Association for the Study of Economic Asymmetries, Rome (Italy).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    moral hazard; hold up; bargaining; labor share;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity

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