We analyze a principal-agent model in which a principal has two possibilities to improve his knowledge about the quality of an investment project. First, he has access to an informationtechnology that provides a \textit{verifiable}, unbiased signal. Second, he can hire an agent who detects bad...

We analyze a principal-agent model in which a principal has two possibilities to improve his knowledge about the quality of an investment project. First, he has access to an informationtechnology that provides a \textit{verifiable}, unbiased signal. Second, he can hire an agent who detects bad...

We consider a standard two-player all-pay auction with private values, where the valuation for the object is private information to each bidder. The crucial feature is that one bidder is favored by the allocation rule in the sense that he need not bid as much as the other bidder to win the...

We consider optimal contracts when a principal has two sources to detect bad projects. The first one is an information technology without agency costs ($%IT_{P}$), whereas the second one is the expertise of an agent subject to moral hazard, adverse selection and limited liability ($IT_A$)....

We develop a model that allows for a comparison of corporate leniency programs for cartel behavior as enacted e.g. in the USA and the EU. Although all programs are based on the idea that the ex ante expected fine can be increased by granting fine reductions for self-reporting firms, these...

We analyze mechanism choices of competing sellers with private valuations and show the existence of monotone pure strategy equilibria where sellers with higher reservation value choose mechanisms with a lower selling probability and a larger revenue in case of trade. As an application we...

We analyze whether corporate leniency programs should grant full immunity to the first self-reporting firm regardless of the amount of evidence provided. We distinguish between two firms, one of them providing high and one only low evidence. We show that awarding full amnesty also to the low...

We consider a model of optimal law enforcement according to which self-reporting may be considered in mitigation. After committing a crime, individuals get a private update of their probability of apprehension. Hence, self-enforcing has an option value of self-reporting, since criminals can...