Bonus Payments versus Efficiency Wages in the Repeated Principal-Agent Model with Subjective Evaluations

B-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Microeconomics
Year: 2012
Volume: 4
Issue: 3
Pages: 34-56

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We study an infinitely repeated principal-agent model with subjective evaluations. We compare the surplus in efficiency-wage equilibria and in bonus-payments equilibria. The agent receives a constant wage and is motivated by the threat of dismissal in efficiency-wage equilibria. The agent receives a bonus and quits the relationship after disagreements between his self-evaluation and the principal's performance appraisal in bonus-payments equilibria. We construct a class of equilibria with bonus payments that approach efficiency as patience increases. In contrast, payoffs from efficiency-wage equilibria are bounded away from the Pareto-payoff frontier for any discount factor. (JEL D82, J33, J41)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejmic:v:4:y:2012:i:3:p:34-56
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25