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Time, Salary, and Incentive Payoffs in Labor Contracts

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  • Fama, Eugene F

Abstract

Time (hourly payoffs) and salary (the payoff does not vary with hours) account for the bulk of the payoffs on labor contracts. This article argues that the choice between time and salary centers on the presence (time) or absence (salary) of information about flows of effort or output per unit time. Without information about the flow of hourly effort or output, payoffs for time give the workers an incentive to supply hours without effort. Time can then become uninformative about output. In this situation, if the contract includes a fixed payoff, it is likely to be a salary rather than a payoff for time. Copyright 1991 by University of Chicago Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Fama, Eugene F, 1991. "Time, Salary, and Incentive Payoffs in Labor Contracts," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(1), pages 25-44, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:v:9:y:1991:i:1:p:25-44
    DOI: 10.1086/298257
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    Cited by:

    1. Huang, Hung-Yi & Yan, Cheng & Ho, Kung-Cheng, 2022. "Does managerial compensation influence price efficiency?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2002. "12 Million Salaried Workers are Missing," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 55(4), pages 649-666, July.
    3. Henneberger, Fred & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso & Ziegler, Alexandre, 2007. "Performance Pay, Sorting, and Outsourcing," IZA Discussion Papers 3019, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Edward P. Lazear, 2000. "Performance Pay and Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1346-1361, December.
    5. Nitsa Kasir & Idit Sohlberg, 2018. "The Impact of Supervision and Incentive Process in Explaining Wage Profile and Variance," Papers 1806.01332, arXiv.org.
    6. Johnson, Marilyn F. & Nelson, Karen K. & Shackell, Margaret B., 2001. "An Empirical Analysis of the SEC's 1992 Proxy Reforms on Executive Compensation," Research Papers 1679, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    7. Hart, Robert A., 2008. "Piece work pay and hourly pay over the cycle," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 1006-1022, October.
    8. Hart, Robert A., 2005. "Piecework versus Timework in British Wartime Engineering," IZA Discussion Papers 1593, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Quach, Simon, 2020. "The Labor Market Effects of Expanding Overtime Coverage," MPRA Paper 100613, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Michael Raith, 2008. "Specific knowledge and performance measurement," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(4), pages 1059-1079, December.
    11. Xu, Tianli & Xu, Longbing & Zhu, Siyuan, 2023. "Common ownership and executive pay-for-performance sensitivity: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    12. Hart, Robert A & Roberts, J Elizabeth, 2013. "The rise and fall of piecework-timework wage differentials: market volatility, labor heterogeneity, and output pricing," Stirling Economics Discussion Papers 2013-12, University of Stirling, Division of Economics.
    13. Antti Kauhanen & Sami Napari, 2012. "Performance Measurement and Incentive Plans," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 645-669, July.
    14. Matthias Krakel, 2006. "Tournaments versus Piece Rates under Limited Liability," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 5(3), pages 185-199, December.
    15. Yashraj Varma & Renuka Venkataramani & Parthajit Kayal & Moinak Maiti, 2021. "Short-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Indian Stock Market," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, November.
    16. Bauer, Thomas K. & Haisken-DeNew, John P., 2001. "Employer learning and the returns to schooling," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 161-180, May.
    17. Garen, John, 1998. "Self-employment, pay systems, and the theory of the firm: An empirical analysis," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 257-274, August.
    18. Erik Monsen & Holger Patzelt & Todd Saxton, 2010. "Beyond Simple Utility: Incentive Design and Trade–Offs for Corporate Employee–Entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 105-130, January.
    19. Robert A. Shumsky & Edieal J. Pinker, 2003. "Gatekeepers and Referrals in Services," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(7), pages 839-856, July.
    20. Fernando Lozano, 2010. "Understanding the workweek of foreign born workers in the United States," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 83-104, March.
    21. Chen Liang & Yili Hong & Bin Gu, 2016. "Effects of IT-enabled Monitoring on Labor Contracting in Online Platforms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Working Papers 16-01, NET Institute.
    22. Frank Figge, 2004. "Stakeholder und Unternehmensrisiko," Risk and Insurance 0408001, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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