Start of Main Content
Author(s)

Michael Powell

I analyze a model of production in a competitive environment with heterogeneous firms. Efficient production requires individuals within the organization to take non-contractible actions for which rewards must be informally promised rather than contractually assured. The credibility of such promises emerges from a firm's future competitive rents. Equilibrium competitive rents are inefficient concentrated at the top. I explore several policy and empirical implications of this result.
Date Published: 2019
Citations: Powell, Michael. 2019. Productivity and Credibility in Industry Equilibrium. RAND Journal of Economics. (1)121-146.