Optimality of linearity with collusion and renegotiation

Abstract

This study analyzes a continuous-time N-agent Brownian moral hazard model with constant absolute risk aversion (CARA) utilities, in which agents' actions jointly determine the mean and variance of the outcome process. In order to give a theoretical justification for the use of linear contracts, as in Holmstrom and Milgrom (1987), we consider a variant of its generalization given by Sung (1995), into which collusion and renegotiation possibilities among agents are incorporated. In this model, we prove that there exists a linear and stationary optimal compensation scheme which is also immune to collusion and renegotiation. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.