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Collaborating

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Abstract

This paper examines moral hazard in teams over time. Agents are collectively engaged in an uncertain project, and their individual efforts are unobserved. Free-riding leads not only to a reduction in effort, but also to procrastination. The collaboration dwindles over time, but never ceases as long as the project has not succeeded. In fact, the delay until the project succeeds, if it ever does, increases with the number of agents. We show why deadlines, but not necessarily better monitoring, help to mitigate moral hazard.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Bonatti & Johannes Horner, 2009. "Collaborating," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1695, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Nov 2009.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:1695
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Moral hazard; Teams; Experimentation; Collaboration; Public goods; Learning;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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