We consider how a principal can use randomized strategies in designing optimal contracts in agency settings. We distinguish between ex post randomization (over fee schedules following act selection by the agent) and ex ante randomization (over fee schedules before act selection). We show that ex...

To examine the potential gains from a second production source, we examine how source switching is optimally structured. The model focuses on a purchaser who manages the acquisition process, an incumbent supplier, and a potential entrant or second supplier. Because the costs of the incumbent and...

We consider a regulatory problem in which there is a hierarchy of control. Consumers (or Congress) direct the activities of a regulator, who, in turn, oversees the activities of a monopolistic firm. Both the regulator and the firm are self-interested actors. The regulator must be motivated to...

We consider a double moral hazard problem in which the efforts of two parties, e.g., a principal who initially owns an enterprise and a risk-averse agent in the enterprise, are not verifiable. The realized value of the enterprise's random profit stream is also unverifiable. There is also no...