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Unobservable outcomes and multiattribute preferences in the evaluation of managerial performance

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  • RAJIV D. BANKER
  • SRIKANT M. DATAR
  • AJAY MAINDIRATTA

Abstract

. This paper employs a generalized principal†agent model to analyze accounting situations in which the outcome is not jointly observable and the principal's and agent's preferences are multiattribute in nature. This requires the consideration of accounting signals for risk†sharing (or insurance) information in addition to performance evaluation (or incentive) information. It is shown that precisely two factors determine whether a signal will be valuable in the agency relationship: Observability of the agent's effort and the principal's multivariate risk neutrality. Sufficient conditions for various accounting signals to have value are also developed. Furthermore, when multiple accounting signals are available, it is shown that under certain conditions, the insurance components of the multiple signals can be aggregated into a single aggregate insurance measure and the incentive components of the signals can be aggregated (via a different aggregation procedure) into another aggregate incentive measure. Résumé. Les auteurs utilisent un modèle généralisé mandant†mandataire pour analyser les situations comptables dans lesquelles le résultat n'est pas observable conjointement et les préférences du mandant et du mandataire comportent, par nature, de multiples attributs. Cela exige la prise en considération d'indicateurs comptables relatifs à l'information sur le partage des risques (ou de l'assurance) en plus de l'information relative à l'évaluation du rendement (ou aux stimulants). Les auteurs démontrent que deux facteurs permettent de déterminer avec précision si un indicateur sera valable dans la relation de mandataire: le caractère observable de l'effort du mandataire et la neutralité multivariée du mandant à l'égard du risque. Des conditions suffisantes pour que les divers indicateurs comptables soient valables sont également établies. En outre, lorsque des indicateurs comptables multiples sont disponibles, les auteurs démontrent que dans certaines conditions, les éléments des indicateurs multiples liés à l'assurance peuvent faire l'objet d'une regroupement en une seule mesure globale d'assurance, et que les éléments des indicateurs liés aux stimulants peuvent faire l'objet d'une regroupement (au moyen d'une méthode différente) en une autre mesure globale des stimulants.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajiv D. Banker & Srikant M. Datar & Ajay Maindiratta, 1988. "Unobservable outcomes and multiattribute preferences in the evaluation of managerial performance," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(1), pages 96-124, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:5:y:1988:i:1:p:96-124
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3846.1988.tb00697.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rogerson, William P, 1985. "The First-Order Approach to Principal-Agent Problems," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 53(6), pages 1357-1367, November.
    2. Frøystein Gjesdal, 1982. "Information and Incentives: The Agency Information Problem," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 49(3), pages 373-390.
    3. Banker, Rd & Datar, Sm, 1989. "Sensitivity, Precision, And Linear Aggregation Of Signals For Performance Evaluation," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 21-39.
    4. James A. Mirrlees, 1976. "The Optimal Structure of Incentives and Authority Within an Organization," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 7(1), pages 105-131, Spring.
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    6. John C. Harsanyi, 1955. "Cardinal Welfare, Individualistic Ethics, and Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 63, pages 309-309.
    7. Scott F. Richard, 1975. "Multivariate Risk Aversion, Utility Independence and Separable Utility Functions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 12-21, September.
    8. Paul R. Milgrom, 1981. "Good News and Bad News: Representation Theorems and Applications," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(2), pages 380-391, Autumn.
    9. Harris, Milton & Raviv, Artur, 1979. "Optimal incentive contracts with imperfect information," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 231-259, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rajiv D. Banker & Srikant M. Datar, 1992. "Optimal transfer pricing under postcontract information," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(2), pages 329-352, March.

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