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Past and Future Developments in the Economics of Relational Contracts

Author

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  • Fahn, Matthias

    (University of Linz)

  • MacLeod, W. Bentley

    (Princeton University)

  • Muehlheusser, Gerd

    (University of Hamburg)

Abstract

This paper was written as an editorial preface to a "Symposium on Relational Contracts", that was jointly edited by the three authors, and that will appear in the Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE). The Symposium contains eleven contributions to the economics of relational contracts, written by many of the leading scholars in the field. This editorial preface provides a narrative that positions the eleven contributions within the broader context of relational contracts, as addressed by economists, and it explains how these contributions are linked to each other.

Suggested Citation

  • Fahn, Matthias & MacLeod, W. Bentley & Muehlheusser, Gerd, 2023. "Past and Future Developments in the Economics of Relational Contracts," IZA Discussion Papers 16427, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16427
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    relational contracts; organizational economics;

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games

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