(E-book available via MyiLibrary) In even the most market-oriented economies, most economic transactions occur not in markets but inside managed organizations, particularly business firms. Organizational economics seeks to understand the nature and workings of such organizations and their impact on economic performance. The Handbook of Organizational Economics surveys the major theories, evidence, and methods used in the field. It displays the breadth of topics in organizational economics, including the roles of individuals and groups in organizations, organizational structures and processes, the boundaries of the firm, contracts between and within firms, and more.
When originally released, Frank Hyneman Knight’s The Economic Organization revitalized the teaching of economic theory in America during the 1930s, laying the foundation for the price theory revolution led by economists emerging from Knight’s circle at The University of Chicago. Knight shows that when societies choose to allow market organization, their economy simultaneously solves the fundamental functions of valuation and efficiency. It also organizes the production and distribution of resources, providing incentives for progress. The Economic Organization provides a short introduction to the basic principles of supply, demand, and distribution that emerge from neoclassical price theory. The central role of the price mechanism in market organization is illustrated neatly by Knight’s "wheel of wealth"—the circular flow diagram most often identified with macroeconomic flows, but introduced here for price theoretic reasons. This version also includes his essay on "Utility and Cost," which provides a seamlessly integrated alternative-cost interpretation of neoclassical theory. This expanded edition of The Economic Organization includes a new introduction by Ross B. Emmett, which expands upon the short note on capital theory inserted in the original. Knight wrote three versions of the note for student use, and all three are included in the second chapter. Few books have changed the landscape of American economics and economic education as much as Knight’s The Economic Organization. This book should be read by all economists, historians, and policy makers.
A systematic treatment of the economics of the modern firm, this text draws on the insights of various areas in modern economics and other disciplines and presents the central problems in organizations of motivating people and co-ordinating their activities.
This book is an introduction to Max Weber’s ambitious comparative study of the sociological and institutional foundations of the modern economic and social order. In this work originally published in German in 1920, Weber discusses the analytical methods of sociology and, at the same time, presents a devastating critique of prevailing sociological theory and of its universalist, determinist underpinnings. None of Weber’s other writings offers the reader such a grasp of his theories; none displays so clearly his erudition, the scope of his interests, and his analytical powers.
A timely investigation of the potential economic effects, both realized and unrealized, of artificial intelligence within the United States healthcare system. In sweeping conversations about the impact of artificial intelligence on many sectors of the economy, healthcare has received relatively little attention. Yet it seems unlikely that an industry that represents nearly one-fifth of the economy could escape the efficiency and cost-driven disruptions of AI. The Economics of Artificial Intelligence: Health Care Challenges brings together contributions from health economists, physicians, philosophers, and scholars in law, public health, and machine learning to identify the primary barriers to entry of AI in the healthcare sector. Across original papers and in wide-ranging responses, the contributors analyze barriers of four types: incentives, management, data availability, and regulation. They also suggest that AI has the potential to improve outcomes and lower costs. Understanding both the benefits of and barriers to AI adoption is essential for designing policies that will affect the evolution of the healthcare system.
This long-awaited sequel to the modem classic "Markets and Hierarchies" develops and extends Williamson's innovative use of transaction cost economics as an approach to studying economic organization by applying it to work and labor as well as the corporation itself. In addition, Williamson explores its growing implications for public policy, including its potential influence on antitrust and merger guidelines, labor policy, and SEC and public utility regulations.
The conditions for sustainable growth and development are among the most debated topics in economics, and the consensus is that institutions matter greatly in explaining why some economies are more successful than others over time. This book explores the relationship between economic conditions, growth, and inequality.
Advanced Textbooks in Economics, Volume 21: The Economics of Organization focuses on the processes, methodologies, and approaches involved in the study of various topics in economics, mathematical economics, and econometrics. The publication first ponders on the general resource allocation problem, particularly noting that a theory of resource allocation is formed by studying the deliberate and purposeful choices of individuals to provide a model for human behavior in the economic realm. The theory of exchange emphasizes that coordination and equilibrium must be formed to explain social linkages. The text then explains market allocation, and a number of propositions are discussed to show the dynamics of this field. The manuscript elaborates on transaction costs, markets and uncertainty, and behavior in the face of uncertainty. The publication also takes a look at the terms of authority, measuring of information, value of communication in teams, cost of communication, and budget planning. The formal organization of decision-making, hierarchical supervision and loss of control, alternative requirements of formal organization, and expedience and incentives are also underscored. The text is a valuable reference for researchers interested in the economics of organization.
