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Showing posts with the label informational constraint

Decision Making as Output and Bounded Rationality

  The classical economics theories proceed on the assumption of rational agents. Rationality implies the economic agents undertake actions or exercise choices based on the cost-benefit analysis they undertake. The assumption further posits that there exists no information asymmetry and thus the agent is aware of all the costs and benefits associated with the choice he or she has exercised. The behavioral school contested the decision stating the decisions in practice are often irrational. Implied there is a continuous departure from rationality. Rationality in the views of the behavioral school is more an exception to the norm rather a rule. The past posts have discussed the limitations of this view by the behavioral school. Economics has often posited rationality in the context in which the choices are exercised rather than theoretical abstract view of rational action. Rational action in theory seems to be grounded in zero restraint situation yet in practice, there are numerous restra

Information Assymetry, Diya and Wuhan Virus

Economics assumes rational action by agents under perfect available information. Yet the cognitive constraints in gathering and processing information makes agents take decisions under uncertainty. Rationality thus is bounded by cognitive abilities of the agents. In real life, contrary to theory, bounded rationality is evident. It is not to suggest irrationality in decision making but each action by an economic agent is a rational action undertaken through a grasp of cost benefit dynamics under the existing constraints. Information asymmetry between agents and among agents necessitate different approach to decision making. The buyer knows something about herself which the seller does not know. This could have significant implications in industries like insurance and banking. Suppose a person has a certain disability or disease while going for insurance which he or she can hide the same. Alternatively someone is going for fire insurance with a hidden objective of setting house or

Existence of Firm is Rational!

Classical and neoclassical theories stressed the primacy of the markets for transactions. To theorist of both the schools, the invisible hand manifesting through the price mechanism, resolves the imbalances that exist arising of the mismatch of demand and supply. Yet the ground realities suggested a sort of paradox. Of the total transactions that were observed in real life, the market based transactions occupied a smaller share. Most transactions seem to be occurring internally within an organization. The presence of the firm could not satisfactorily be explained by the early theorists. Profit maximization and utility maximization the key drivers of the neoclassical revolution seem to find limits to this power. The paradox was resolved by Ronald Coase who laid the foundations for transaction cost theory. To Coase, “ market prices govern the relationships between firms but within a firm decisions are made on a basis different from maximizing profit subject market prices. Within t