Introduction
A classic contracting problem has the following structure. A principal engages
an agent to take certain actions on the principals behalf. However, the
principal cannot directly observe the agents actions, which creates a problem
of moral hazard: the agent may take actions that increase his own payo§ but
reduce the overall surplus of the relationship. To be speciÖc, suppose the principal
is the main shareholder of a company and the agent is the companyís
manager. As Adam Smith noted, the separation of ownership and control in a
company might cause the manager to make decisions contrary to the interests
of shareholders