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Optimal Screening by Risk-Averse Principals

Author

Listed:
  • Basov Suren

    (La Trobe University, s.basov@latrobe.edu.au)

  • Yin Xiangkang

    (La Trobe University, x.yin@latrobe.edu.au)

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of principal's risk aversion on principal-agent relationship under hidden information. It finds that the agent's equilibrium effort increases and approaches the efficient level as the principal's risk aversion increases and tends to infinity. Allowing for random participation by the agent, his effort can be efficient even when the principal's risk aversion is finite. For the case of common agency with random participation, it is optimal for the principals to make the agent the residual claimant on profits and the principals' net profits monotonically decrease to zero when their risk aversion tends to infinity.

Suggested Citation

  • Basov Suren & Yin Xiangkang, 2010. "Optimal Screening by Risk-Averse Principals," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejtec:v:10:y:2010:i:1:n:8
    DOI: 10.2202/1935-1704.1590
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xiangkang Yin, 2013. "Two-part tariffs set by a risk-averse monopolist," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 109(2), pages 175-192, June.
    2. Yannai A. Gonczarowski & Nicole Immorlica & Yingkai Li & Brendan Lucier, 2021. "Revenue Maximization for Buyers with Costly Participation," Papers 2103.03980, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2023.
    3. Wanda Mimra & Christian Waibel, 2025. "Contracting Environments and Efficiency in Markets with Hidden Information: An Experiment," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 35-74, August.
    4. Paulo Barelli & Suren Basov & Mauricio Bugarin & Ian King, 2010. "The Inclusiveness of Exclusion," Business and Economics Working Papers 089, Unidade de Negocios e Economia, Insper.
    5. Barelli, Paulo & Basov, Suren & Bugarin, Mauricio & King, Ian, 2014. "On the optimality of exclusion in multi-dimensional screening," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 74-83.
    6. Seeun Jung & Kenneth Houngbedji, 2014. "Shirking, Monitoring, and Risk Aversion," PSE Working Papers halshs-00965532, HAL.
    7. Paulo Barelli & Suren Basov & Mauricio Bugarin & Ian King, 2012. "The Robustness of Exclusion in Multi-dimensional Screening," RCER Working Papers 571, University of Rochester - Center for Economic Research (RCER).
    8. Barelli, Paulo & Basov, Suren & Bugarin, Mauricio & King, Ian King, 2010. "The Inclusiveness of Exclusion," Insper Working Papers wpe_211, Insper Working Paper, Insper Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa.
    9. Rodrigo Basco & Thomas Bassetti & Lorenzo Dal Maso & Nicola Lattanzi, 2023. "Why and when do family firms invest less in talent management? The suppressor effect of risk aversion," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(1), pages 101-130, March.
    10. Seeun JUNG, 2014. "Risk Attitudes and Shirking on the Quality of Work under Monitoring: Evidence from a Real-Effort Task Experiment," Thema Working Papers 2014-26, THEMA (Théorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), CY Cergy-Paris University, ESSEC and CNRS.

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