Classical agency theory argues that economic incentives can have a strong impact on opportunistic reporting behavior. On the other hand, behavioral literature suggests that agents also adhere to descriptive norms established by peers. Most studies examine these effects in isolation, ignoring the...

Principals make decisions on various issues, ranging from contract design to control system implementation. Few studies examine the principal’s active role in these decisions. We experimentally investigate this role by studying how a principal’s choice for a truth-telling incentive contract,...

Principals make decisions on various issues, ranging from contract design to control system implementation. Few studies examine the principal's active role in these decisions. We experimentally investigate this role by studying how a principal's choice for a truth-telling incentive contract,...

The paper tries to establish for a large European car dealership whether target ratcheting and target achievements are associated with the type of contract offered to the franchisee in the dealership. We find that the franchisor sets different targets within a common stair-step incentive scheme...

This study experimentally examines whether task-specific experience acquired by managers influences their reliance on performance-based contracts to motivate employees in a setting in which the employee’s task can spark intrinsic motivation. Building on experiential learning theory, we predict...