Two major issues in custom systems development are how to resolve moral hazard and how to motivate relation-specific investment. Sophisticated contractual terms are one solution, but not practical. We analyze a solution proposed by several legal practitioners -- the use of installment payments....

The paper explores an efficiency hypothesis regarding the contractual process between large retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, and their suppliers. The empirical evidence presented supports the idea that large retailers play a quasi-judicial role, acting as "courts of first instance" in...

This work first describes how exchange is organized in an institutional environment with laws, courts and markets focusing on the dual effect of this environment. Institutions enjoy specialization advantages in safeguarding exchange but they also make possible new forms of opportunism, causing...

Contracts are an increasingly common method for coordinating exchange in the food industry. Contracts often include specifications for product attributes including food safety. One of the goals of explicit safety specifications is to discourage or deter suppliers who would deliver unsafe food....