When Inefficiency Begets Efficiency

Abstract: Collective consumption decisions taken by the members of a household may prove inefficient. The impact of such inefficient household decisions on market performance is investigated. At one extreme, market efficiency can occur even when household decisions are inefficient, namely when house...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Link(s) zu Dokument(en):IHS Publikation
Hauptverfasser: Gersbach, Hans, Haller, Hans
Format: IHS Series NonPeerReviewed
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Institut für Höhere Studien 2003
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Abstract: Collective consumption decisions taken by the members of a household may prove inefficient. The impact of such inefficient household decisions on market performance is investigated. At one extreme, market efficiency can occur even when household decisions are inefficient, namely when household inefficiencies are merely due to inefficient net trades with the market. At the other extreme, market efficiency is bound to fail, if household inefficiencies are solely caused by an inefficientdistribution of a household's aggregate consumption to its individual members. This leads us to consider competitive forces as a disciplinary device for households. When households compete for both resources and members then household stability requires efficient or not too inefficient internal distribution.;