The Impact of a Multiple Listing Service

This article offers a theoretical investigation of the impact of a multiple listing service (MLS) and its optimal size. We study a principal‐agent model of real estate brokerage with multiple agents, where the entry of new agents imposes externalities on the other agents. We solve simultaneously for the equilibrium and socially efficient levels of agents’ effort choices, the size of the MLS and the commission rate. Introducing an MLS reduces the number of agents, increases agents’ effort levels and improves total surplus. Current commission rates of 5–7% appear much higher than the competitive commission rate, leading to too many agents, too much effort by agents and a lower overall surplus. We also find that giving a greater portion of the commission to the selling agent increases effort levels, reduces the number of agents and improves total surplus.     

Distracted directors: Does board busyness hurt shareholder value?

We use the deaths of directors and chief executive officers as a natural experiment to generate exogenous variation in the time and resources available to independent directors at interlocked firms. The loss of such key co-employees is an attention shock because it increases the board committee workload only for some interlocked directors—the ‘treatment group’. There is a negative stock market reaction to attention shocks only for treated director-interlocked firms. Interlocking directors? busyness, the importance of their board roles, and their degree of independence magnify the treatment effect. Overall, directors? busyness is detrimental to board monitoring quality and shareholder value.     

Scope and scale economies in merging hospitals prior to merger

During the 1980s, the impact of the Prospective Payment System and increased pressure from payers for discounts placed pressure on hospitals to become more efficient. An increase in the number of hospital mergers during this period suggests that merger was a strategy used by hospitals to improve efficiency. This hypothesis is tested by estimating multiproduct scope and scale economies in merging hospitals one year prior to the merger and comparing these with a group of controls using estimates from a hybrid translog cost function. Diseconomies of scale were present when the estimated hybrid translog cost function is evaluated at variable means. The results suggest that merging hospitals could obtain operational efficiencies through merger.     

The Value of Equitable Redemption in Commercial Mortgage Contracting

Equitable redemption is a feature of all common law mortgages that allows a borrower a chance to “redeem” the real estate in the event of default. What is puzzling is that equitable redemption is universally enforced in all mortgages, including commercial mortgages. The purpose of this study is to understand if there might be conditions under which the universal enforcement of equitable redemption could be an efficient legal doctrine. We build a model of asymmetric information where the cash flows from the investment are known to the borrower but not to the lender. We show that there exists a separating equilibrium where high-risk borrowers choose to include equitable redemption (and pay a higher interest rate) while low-risk borrowers choose not to (and pay a lower interest rate). We then show that there exist conditions under which a universal enforcement of equitable redemption results in a higher total surplus than this separating equilibrium.

Screening equilibria in experimental markets

We conduct an experimental test of a screening model of an insurance market with asymmetric information. We first conduct three sessions in which the proportion of high risk buyers is such that a separating equilibrium should exist. We then conduct three more sessions in which the only change we make is decreasing the proportion of high risks such that the equilibrium is now a pooling equilibrium. In both treatments, the observed behavior converges to the equilibrium prediction.

The Role of Customer Orientation as a Moderator of the Job Demand–Burnout–Performance Relationship: A Surface-Level Trait Perspective

This study expands upon previous research on the antecedents (job demands and job resources) and outcomes of frontline employee burnout, and examines the role of customer orientation (CO) in the burnout process. Using data from frontline bank employees in New Zealand, we investigate both the direct relationships of CO to burnout and job outcomes (job performance and turnover intentions) and the buffering role of CO concerning the relationships between job demands, burnout, and job outcomes. The study results show that burnout mediates the effects of job demands and job resources on job performance and turnover intentions. Besides being directly related to burnout and job performance, CO also buffers the dysfunctional effects of job demands on burnout and job outcomes. Implications of the results are discussed and future research avenues are offered.     

Adverse selection in mortgage securitization

Using several large data sets of mortgage loans originated between 2004 and 2007, we find that in the prime mortgage market, banks generally sold low-default-risk loans into the secondary market while retaining higher-default-risk loans in their portfolios. In contrast, these lenders retained loans with lower prepayment risk relative to loans they sold. Securitization strategy of lenders changed dramatically in 2007 as the crisis set in with most unwilling to retain higher-default-risk loans in return for lower prepayment risk. Contrary to the prime market, the subprime market does not exhibit any clear pattern of adverse selection.     

Commission Splits in Real Estate Transactions

We examine commission splits between listing and selling agents in real estate transactions. We construct a theoretical model to show that agency problems arise when a listing agent attempts to maximize his or her payoff while setting the commission split. Mitigation to these agency problems can be achieved through the imposition of a limited duration on listing contracts. Our model produces several testable hypotheses, which are supported by empirical evidence. We find property listings with higher list prices and quick sales are associated with lower commission splits. Commission split is more likely to be higher when the listed property has a high degree of atypicality and/or is overpriced. Additionally, agent-owned properties pay higher commission splits.     

A study of measuring influence of advertising and forecasting cigarette sales

This study investigated the effect of advertising on cigarette sales, particularly after 1967. Data were collected using sources of the Statistical abstract of the U.S., the Historical Statistics of the U.S. and Vital Statistics between 1955 and 1979. A multiple regression model was used to analyze the data. Cigarette consumption was used as a dependent variable. Disposable Income, Death Rate due to cancer of the respiratory system/total cancer death, advertising outlays for cigarettes: Newspapers and television advertisement/total advertising cost, cigarette-production (including long and regular sizes), sales outlets, loyalty/total loyalty, average price for cigarettes and a dummy variable were used as independent variables. Analysis revealed that there is a significant negative relationship between cigarette-consumption and total cancer death and average prices on the one hand, and a significant positive association between loyalty and cigarette consumption on the other. Although advertising expenditures are not statistically significant, increased spending on advertising has an increasing effect on cigarette-consumption.     

Servicers and Mortgage‐Backed Securities Default: Theory and Evidence

We study conflicting incentives of the master and special servicers in handling troubled loans in a Commercial Mortgage‐Backed Securities deal and how the frictions between the interests of the two servicers might be diminished if the master and special servicing rights are held by the same firm. We show that concentrating both servicing rights in one firm reduces the likelihood that a defaulted loan terminates in foreclosure.