Contract Dynamics: Lessons From Empirical Analyses

Abstract

The recognition that contracts have a time dimension has given rise to a very abundant literature since the end of the 1980s. In such a dynamic context, the contract may take place over several periods and develop repeated interactions. Then, the principal topics of the analysis are commitment, reputation, memory and the renegotiation of the contract. Few papers have tried to apply the predictions of dynamic contract theory to data. The examples of applications introduced in this article show the relevance of the change from a static contractual framework to a dynamic one. In a dynamic context, contracts are more sophisticated and can include commitment or a better revelation of the type of agent (insurance contract); contracts are more flexible (franchise contract) or offer a better measurement of information asymmetry and effort level (insurance or work contract).