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Industrial and Corporate Change, Volume 12, Number 4, pp. 917-942
© 2003 Oxford University Press

Examining economic organization through the lens of contract

Oliver E. Williamson

Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Email: owilliam{at}haas.berkeley.edu.

Abstract

The lens of contract approach to the study of economic organization is partly complementary but also partly rival to the orthodox lens of choice. Specifically, whereas the latter focuses on simple market exchange, the lens of contract is predominantly concerned with the complex contracts. Among the major differences is that non-standard and unfamiliar contractual practices and organizational structures that orthodoxy interprets as manifestations of monopoly are often perceived to serve economizing purposes under the lens of contract. A major reason for these and other differences is that orthodoxy is dismissive of organization theory whereas organization theory provides conceptual foundations for the lens of contract.


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