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Efficient Non-Contractible Investments

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  • Harold L. Cole
  • George J. Mailath
  • Andrew Postlewaite

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of whether agents will invest efficiently in attributes that will increase their productivity in subsequent matches with other individuals. We present a two-sided matching model in which buyers and sellers make investment decisions prior to a matching stage. Once matched, the buyer and seller bargain over the transfer price. In contrast to most matching models, preferences over possible matches are affected by decisions made before the matching process. We show that if bargaining respects the existence of outside options (in the sense that the resulting allocation is in the core of the assignment game), then efficient decisions can always be sustained in equilibrium. However, there may also be inefficient equilibria. Our analysis identifies a potential source of inefficiency not present in most matching models.

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Paper provided by Penn Economics Department in its series Penn CARESS Working Papers with number 08d6793d32cab8f6e1f46dac0dbb3611.

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Handle: RePEc:cla:penntw:08d6793d32cab8f6e1f46dac0dbb3611

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  1. Oliver Hart & Sanford Grossman, 1985. "The Costs and Benefits of Ownership: A Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration," Working papers 372, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Economics.
  2. Ellickson, Bryan & Grodal, Birgit & Scotchmer, Suzanne & Zame, William R., 1997. "Clubs and the Market: Continuum Economies," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt7n5699xj, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
  3. Joseph Farrell and Suzanne Scotchmer., 1986. "Partnerships," Economics Working Papers 8616, University of California at Berkeley.
  4. Bryan Ellickson and Birgit Grodal, Suzanne Scotchmer, and William R. Zame., 1997. "Clubs and the Market: Continuum Economies," Economics Working Papers 97-254, University of California at Berkeley.
  5. Lewis Makowski & Joseph Ostroy, 2010. "Appropriation and Efficiency: A Revision of the First Theorem of Welfare Economics," Levine's Working Paper Archive 1386, David K. Levine.
  6. Bryan Ellickson & Birgit Grodal & Suzanne Scotchmer & William Zame, 1997. "Clubs and the Market: Large Finite Economies," UCLA Economics Working Papers 766, UCLA Department of Economics.
  7. Kamecke, Ulrich, 1992. "On the uniqueness of the solution to a large linear assignment problem," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 509-521.
  8. Burdett, Ken & Coles, Melvyn G, 1997. "Marriage and Class," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 112(1), pages 141-68, February.
  9. Harold L Cole & Edward C Prescott, 1997. "Valuation equilibrium with Clubs," Levine's Working Paper Archive 912, David K. Levine.
  10. MacLeod, W Bentley & Malcomson, James M, 1993. "Investments, Holdup, and the Form of Market Contracts," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(4), pages 811-37, September.
  11. Acemoglu, Daron, 1997. "Training and Innovation in an Imperfect Labour Market," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 445-64, July.
  12. Ellickson, Bryan & Grodal, Birgit & Scotchmer, Suzanne & Zane, William R., 1997. "clubs and the Market: Large Finite Economies," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt10k1b44j, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
  13. Mamoru Kaneko, 1980. "The Central Assignment Game and the Assignment Markets," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 563, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
  14. Neil E. Gretsky & Joseph M. Ostroy & William R. Zame, 1990. "The Nonatomic Assignment Model," UCLA Economics Working Papers 605, UCLA Department of Economics.
  15. Bryan Ellickson & Birgit Grodal & Suzanne Scotchmer & William R. Zame, 1999. "Clubs and the Market," Discussion Papers 99-04, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    • Bryan Ellickson & Birgit Grodal & Suzanne Scotchmer & William R. Zame, 1999. "Clubs and the Market," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(5), pages 1185-1218, September.
  16. Hart, Oliver D., 1980. "Perfect competition and optimal product differentiation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 279-312, April.
  17. Martine Quinzii, 1982. "Core and Competitive Equilibria with Indivisibilities," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 644, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
  18. Hart, Oliver D, 1979. "Monopolistic Competition in a Large Economy with Differentiated Commodities," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 1-30, January.
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