Employee Buyout in a Bargaining Game with Asymmetric Information.

Why are some firms purchased by their employees? This paper explores this question theoretically, suggesting that employees may attempt to overcome their informational handicap regarding firm profitability by making simultaneous offers on wages and a purchase price for the firm. Owners of relatively unprofitable firms will tend to sell out for low prices instead of paying high wages, whereas owners of profitable firms will prefer to pay high wages over receiving low firm prices; the buyout serves as a screening mechanism. The probability of an employee buyout decreases with the employees' outside options and increases with owners' outside options. Copyright 1996 by American Economic Association.