Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2016

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Author's Department

Business Administration

Additional Affiliations

Olin Business School

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This dissertation investigates several different aspects of expert behavior in firm and market settings. Experts are growing in importance in public and industry settings, and understanding how they make decisions will help managers and policymakers design their relationships with experts to achieve the best outcomes possible. Using data from three different industries health care, real estate, and contract representation I investigate how experts develop and use social and human capital and how they respond to incentives in doing the work they are hired to do. The results of this dissertation suggest that the discretion naturally afforded to experts due to their superiority to laymen in their areas of expertise can lead to behavior that may not always add the highest degree of value to their employers. Nevertheless, managers who keep this in mind can find ways to achieve very beneficial outcomes even in the presence of uncertainty.

Language

English (en)

Chair and Committee

Bart Hamilton

Committee Members

Nick Argyres, Jackson Nickerson, Lamar Pierce, Todd Zenger,

Comments

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K7QC01TQ

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Available for download on Friday, May 15, 2116

Included in

Economics Commons

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