Allocation of Decision-Making Authority with Principal's Reputation Concerns

This paper analyzes the allocation of decision-making authority when the principal has reputation concerns. The principal can either keep the authority and consult the agent (an expert), or delegate the authority to the agent; however, the outside evaluator cannot observe the allocation of authority. Hence, delegation can provide a way to manipulate the principal's ex post reputation. In general, the principal keeps the authority too often when she has the opportunity of delegation. When the evaluator believes that the agent may make the decision sometimes, the principal has less incentive to make the right decisions