Jerry Green estimates the cost of future projects for a larg…
Jerry Green estimates the cost of future projects for a large contracting firm. Mr. Green uses precisely the same techniques to estimate the costs of every potential job and formulates bids by adding a standard profit markup. For some companies to whom the firm offers its services, no competitors exist, so they are almost certain to get them as clients. For these jobs, Mr. Green finds that his cost estimates are right, on average. For jobs where competitors are also vying for the business, Mr. Green finds that they almost always end up costing more than he estimates. Why does this occur?
Read DetailsVenture capital (VC) firms are pools of private capital that…
Venture capital (VC) firms are pools of private capital that typically invest in small, fast-growing companies, which usually can’t raise funds through other means. In exchange for this financing, the VCs receive a share of the company’s equity, and the founders of the firm typically stay on and continue to manage the company. Describe the nature of the incentive conflict between VCs and the managers, identifying the principal and the agent. VC investments have two typical components: (1) managers maintain some ownership in the company and often earn additional equity if the company performs well; (2) VCs demand seats on the company’s board. Discuss how these two components help address the incentive conflict.
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