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Learning about compliance under asymmetric information

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  • Carmen Arguedas
  • Sandra Rousseau

Abstract

Over time, inspection agencies gather information about firms that cause harmful externalities. This information may allow agencies to differentiate their monitoring strategies in the future, since inspections can be influenced by firms' past performance relative to other competitors in the market. If a firm is less successful than it peers in reducing the externality, if faces the risk of being targeted for increased inspections in the next period This risk of stricter monitoring might induce high cost firms to mimic low cost firms, while the latter might try to avoid being mimicked We show that under certain circumstances, mimicking, or even the threat of mimicking, might reduce socially harmful activities and thus be welfare improving.

Suggested Citation

  • Carmen Arguedas & Sandra Rousseau, 2008. "Learning about compliance under asymmetric information," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven ces0808, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    • Handle: RePEc:ete:ceswps:ces0808
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    Cited by:

    1. Jessica Coria & Xiao-Bing Zhang, 2015. "State-Dependent Enforcement to Foster the Adoption of New Technologies," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 62(2), pages 359-381, October.
    2. Thierry Madiès & Ornella Tarola & Emmanuelle Taugourdeau, 2022. "Tax haven, pollution haven or both?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(6), pages 1527-1560, December.
    3. Angelo Antoci & Simone Borghesi & Gianluca Iannucci, 2021. "(Dis)honest bureaucrats and (non)compliant firms in an evolutionary game," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 321-344, May.
    4. Dongryul Lee & Kyung Hwan Baik, 2017. "Concealment and verification over environmental regulations: a game-theoretic analysis," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 235-268, June.
    5. Elbakidze, Levan & Beeson, Quinn, 2020. "State Regulatory Heterogeneity and Clean Water Act Compliance," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304638, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    monitoring and enforcement; externalities; learning; mimicking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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