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Liars and Inspectors: Optimal Financial Contracts When Monitoring is Non-Observable

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Author Info
Anna Maria C. Menichini (Universita' di Salerno, CSEF and CELPE)
Peter J. Simmons (University of York)

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Abstract

Within a costly state verification setting, we derive the optimal financial contract between an entrepreneur, a (potentially financing) supervisor and a pure investor when there is non-verifiable and non-contractible monitoring and limited liability. We show that diversion of cash flows to the entrepreneur arises as optimal behaviour and that to get the best reporting and monitoring incentives it is crucial to separate the financing from the monitoring role. In particular, higher efficiency can be achieved by ensuring that the entrepreneur and the supervisor do not collect any cash flows in low states. These should be paid to a third party instead, the pure investor, who in exchange provides funding. However, whether the pure investor entirely finances the project (and the supervisor purely acts as a monitor) or only provides partial finance (with the supervisor cofinancing) is immaterial, as the optimal financing of the project can justify a range of alternative financial structures.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Berkeley Electronic Press in its journal The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics.

Volume (Year): contributions.6 (2006)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages:
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Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejtec:v:contributions.6:y:2006:i:1:n:3

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Related research
Keywords: financial contracts; multiple investors; no commitment;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information
D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search, Learning, and Information

References listed on IDEAS
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  1. A. Menichini & P. Simmons, . "Can Liars Ever Prosper," Discussion Papers 02/10, Department of Economics, University of York. [Downloadable!]
  2. Fahad Khalil, 1997. "Auditing Without Commitment," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 28(4), pages 629-640, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Choe, Chongwoo, 1998. "Contract design and costly verification games," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 327-340, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Strausz, Roland, 1997. "Delegation of Monitoring in a Principal-Agent Relationship," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 64(3), pages 337-57, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Jost, Peter-Jurgen, 1996. "On the Role of Commitment in a Principal-Agent Relationship with an Informed Principal," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 510-530, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Bolton, Patrick & Scharfstein, David S, 1996. "Optimal Debt Structure and the Number of Creditors," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(1), pages 1-25, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Stefan Krasa & Anne P. Villamil, 2000. "Optimal Contracts when Enforcement Is a Decision Variable," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 68(1), pages 119-134, January.
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