Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers,
Lund University, Department of Economics

No 2009:16: Make-or-buy decisions and the manipulability of performance measures

Fredrik Andersson ()
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Fredrik Andersson: Department of Economics, Lund University, Postal: Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Box 7082, S-220 07 Lund, Sweden

Abstract: The make-or-buy decision is analyzed in a simple framework combining contractual incompleteness with the existence of imperfect but contractible performance measures. Contractual incompleteness gives rise to two regimes, identified with make and buy. The performance measure on which comprehensive contracts can be written is imperfect in the sense of being subject to manipulation. The main result is that the impact – or "externality" – of manipulation on true performance is key; a positive (negative) such externality favors make (buy).

Keywords: make-or-buy decision; manipulation; outsourcing

JEL-codes: D23; L22; L24

38 pages, First version: November 4, 2009. Revised: November 20, 2009.

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WP09_16.pdf PDF-file

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