© 2006 pearson education canada inc.9-1 conflict resolution game theory agency theory
TRANSCRIPT
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9-1
Conflict Resolution
Game TheoryAgency Theory
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9-2
Agency Theory
• A principal wants to hire an agent for some specialized task– Separation of ownership and control
• Principal and agent are rational. Agent is risk-averse. Principal may be risk-averse, but assume risk-neutral for simplicity
• Principal wants agent to work hard, but– Agent is effort-averse
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9-3
Moral Hazard Problem of Information
Asymmetry • Principal cannot observe manager
effort - \• Call manager’s disutility of effort
V(a)– More effort---> greater disutility
• Implies manager may shirk on effort– E.g., if paid a fixed salary, how hard will
the manager work?
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9-4
Agency Contract Example 9.3
• Owner: rational, risk-neutral– Wants to max. expected firm
payoff x• Manager: rational, risk-averse
and effort-averse– Wants to max. expected utility of
compensation c, net of disutility of effort V(a)
– To overcome shirking, why not give manager a share of payoff?
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9-5
Agency Contract Example 9.3
• A problem arises:– Firm payoff not known until after
contract expires (single period contract). Why?
– Manager has to be paid at contract expiry
• A solution:– Base manager compensation on a
performance measure (e.g., net income), which is available at period end
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9-6
Motivation of Manager Effort
• To motivate manager effort, give manager a share of firm net income
• Concept of reservation utility, call it R– If manager is to work for owner, must
receive expected utility of at least R
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9-7
Implications of Agency Theory For Financial
Accounting• Net income matters• The agency relationship is a
contract. Contracts are rigid• Implies accounting policy choice
and changes to accounting policy matter
•Manager will usually object to new accounting standards that:
– Lower reported net income (why?)– Increase its volatility (why?)
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9-8
Implications, Cont’d.
• Net income must be jointly observable (i.e., by manager and owner)– Role for GAAP, audit
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Implications, Concl.
• Unfortunately, sensitivity and precision must be traded off– Historical cost accounting
• Low sensitivity due to recognition lag• High precision since relatively unaffected by market-
wide factors– Fair value accounting
• High sensitivity due less recognition lag• Low precision since affected by market-wide factors
• Fundamental problem of financial accounting theory– Most useful net income for investors is not
necessarily the most informative about manager effort