Organisasjonsøkonomi

Organisasjonsøkonomi, also known as the economics of organizations, studies how economic agents within firms and other economic units interact, make decisions, and allocate resources. It extends traditional microeconomic theory by incorporating the internal structure of firms, formal and informal institutions, and the mechanisms that govern coordination and incentive alignment. Key concepts include transaction cost theory, agency theory, and property rights analysis. Transaction cost theory, pioneered by Ronald Coase, explains why certain activities are organized internally while others are outsourced based on the costs of contracting and enforcing agreements. Agency theory, developed by John F. Mitchell and others, examines the relationship between principals and agents, focusing on how to design contracts and governance structures that align incentives and mitigate risk of moral hazard and adverse selection.

Organisasjonsøkonomi also explores hierarchical organization, delegation, managerial slack, and the design of task assignments. Behavioral and institutional economics are increasingly integrated to account for bounded rationality, organizational learning, and culture. The discipline informs corporate governance, succession planning, and the structuring of joint ventures. Importantly, it provides frameworks for evaluating policy interventions aimed at reducing inefficiencies, such as antitrust regulation or labor market reforms, by analyzing how changes affect organizational behavior. In academia, the field draws from economics, management studies, and sociology, utilizing both theoretical modeling and empirical analysis. The insights of organisasjonsøkonomi are applied in consulting, strategic management, and public administration to understand how organizational design affects performance, innovation, and welfare outcomes.