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Optimal contract theory with time-inconsistent preferences

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  • li, Hong
  • Mu, Congming
  • Yang, Jinqiang

Abstract

This paper incorporates managers' time-inconsistent preferences into the classical DeMarzo and Sannikov (2006) contract model to study corresponding impacts on the optimal contract, corporate financial policies, and the optimal capital structure. The extended model shows that the impatience of the time-inconsistent agent has positive effects on the optimal payout decision which is opposite to DeMarzo and Sannikov (2006) and consequently provides a guideline to tailor the contract between investors and the agent. It also shows in the optimal capital structure, the total debt capacity shrinks with the degree of the agent's time inconsistency, and the long-term one shrinks more. In addition, our model predicts that the agent's time inconsistency not only imposes significant limits on the use of long-term debt but also has great effects on firms' capital structures. Thus our finding can potentially explain observed cross-sectional differences in firms' capital structures.

Suggested Citation

  • li, Hong & Mu, Congming & Yang, Jinqiang, 2016. "Optimal contract theory with time-inconsistent preferences," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 52(PB), pages 519-530.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:52:y:2016:i:pb:p:519-530
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2015.09.032
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    Cited by:

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    3. Cetemen, Doruk & Feng, Felix Zhiyu & Urgun, Can, 2023. "Renegotiation and dynamic inconsistency: Contracting with non-exponential discounting," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    4. Yehong Yang & Guohua Cao, 2019. "Optimal Financing and Dividend Strategies with Time Inconsistency in a Regime Switching Economy," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2019, pages 1-11, April.
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    7. Liu, Bo & Mu, Congming & Yang, Jinqiang, 2017. "Dynamic agency and investment theory with time-inconsistent preferences," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 88-95.
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    10. Liya Liu & Yingjie Niu & Yuanping Wang & Jinqiang Yang, 2020. "Optimal consumption with time-inconsistent preferences," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 70(3), pages 785-815, October.
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    13. Camilo Hern'andez & Dylan Possamai, 2023. "Time-inconsistent contract theory," Papers 2303.01601, arXiv.org.
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