Why Delegate?

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Neil J. Mitchell (Emeritus Professor of International Relations, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, University College London)

Why Delegate?

Neil J. Mitchell (Emeritus Professor of International Relations, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, University College London)

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
19 August 2021

Political science & theory; Microeconomics; Behavioural economics

Why Delegate? moves beyond the standard economic accounts of delegation to offer a fresh take on a wide variety of issues and shows how essential the act of delegating is to our society.

From mundane tasks like choosing a plumber to weightier ones like running a country, the world turns on delegation. We delegate particular tasks to people we believe have more expertise than we do. When it is successful, delegation improves efficiency, expands the range of responsible actors, and even increases happiness.

When delegation fails, though, it brings conflict, corruption, and an absence of accountability.

In Why Delegate?, Neil J. Mitchell investigates the incentives to delegate and the risks we take in doing so. He demonstrates how a new, modified understanding of the simple structure of the delegation relationship-the principal-agent relationship, as economists have described it-simplifies a myriad of important and seemingly disparate problems in private and public life. Using real-world case studies including child abuse in the Catholic Church, the Volkswagen pollution scandal, and FIFA corruption, Mitchell illustrates the broad functionality of delegation logic and the wide range of incentives at work in these relationships. Diverse examples reveal the opportunism of both the leaders and the led and show how accepted accounts of the principal-agent relationship are incomplete. By drawing on multidisciplinary research to address complex questions of motivation, control, responsibility, and accountability, the book builds a broader, more useful logic of delegation.

Why Delegate? moves beyond the standard economic accounts of delegation to offer a fresh take on a wide variety of issues and shows how essential the act of delegating is to our society. Mitchell's comprehensive account of the contexts, causes, and effects of delegation develops a new way to understand both the theory and practice of this critical relationship.

By: Neil J. Mitchell (Emeritus Professor of International Relations Emeritus Professor of International Relations University College London)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 155mm, Width: 231mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 234g
ISBN: 9780190904203
ISBN 10: 0190904208
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 19 August 2021
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements Chapter One: Why Delegate? Chapter Two: Time and Effort Chapter Three: Expertise Chapter Four: Agreement Chapter Five: Commitment Chapter Six: Blame Chapter Seven: Conclusion Bibliography Index

Neil J. Mitchell is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at University College London.

Reviews for Why Delegate?

Why Delegate? sheds light on questions of systemic impunity in military and religious institutions when criminal behavior goes unpunished. Mitchell's analysis helps untangle the circumstances when higher-ups cannot exert their authority and when they will not do so. This work is an important contribution to understanding systematic failures of accountability. * Patrick Pierce, Program Officer for Southeast Asia, Fund for Global Human Rights * With clear writing and diverse examples, this very readable book comprehensively examines issues of delegation. Mitchell provides an uncommon treatment of the principal-agent problem that is accessible to a wide audience. * Gary Uzonyi, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Tennessee Knoxville *