The Agency Problem (among owner and manager)

Why is it important to understand the agency problem within a firm?

The agency problem exists when there is a conflict of interest between the owner (the principal) and the manager (the agent). Agency problem will exist due to separation of ownership and control, between the owner and the manager.
A firm is just an entity and run by individuals. Modern businesses are now no longer managed by their owners, shareholders own share and professional managers run the firm and make the daily decisions.

Most firms do not have a single decision-maker. Instead, they are made up of an assortment of individuals, each using the firm to attain his own goals. Managers pursue goals; shareholders pursue goals; blue and white-collar workers pursue goals; but the firm does not. Everyone is out to satisfy their own goals at the expense of the firm. The divergence between the owners and the management usually brings up the principal-agent problem. An agent acts on behalf of another person, called a principal. How can the principal be sure that the agent acts in the principal's interest? The principal must restrict the agent in some way so that it is in the agent's interest to act in the interest of the principal (Lai Meng, 31 July 2010)

Intermezzo aja nie, mumpung lagi belajar agency problem:

seandainya kita yang jadi boss dan orang lain jadi staff (karya Yosep Iswadi) dari http://bursa-kerja.ptkpt.net/_karir.php?_karir=intermeso-puisi.
Bila boss tetap pada pendapatnya, itu berarti beliau konsisten
Bila staff tetap pada pendapatnya, itu berarti dia keras kepala !

Bila boss berubah-ubah pendapat, itu berarti beliau fleksibel.
Bila staff berubah-ubah pendapat, itu berarti dia plin-plan !

Bila boss bekerja lambat, itu berarti beliau teliti.
Bila staff bekerja lambat, itu berarti dia tidak perform !

Bila boss bekerja cepat, itu berarti beliau smart.
Bila staff bekerja cepat, itu berarti dia terburu-buru !

Bila boss lambat memutuskan, itu berarti beliau hati-hati.
Empathy and Agency:
The Problem of Understanding in the Human Sciences


Bila staff lambat memutuskan, itu berarti dia telmi !

Bila boss mengambil keputusan cepat,
itu berarti beliau berani mengambil keputusan.
Bila staff mengambil keputusan cepat, itu berarti dia gegabah !

Bila boss terlalu berani mengambil resiko, itu berarti beliau risk taking.
Bila staff terlalu berani mengambil resiko, itu berarti dia sembrono !

Bila boss tidak berani mengambil resiko, itu berarti beliau prudent.
Bila staff tidak berani mengambil resiko, itu berarti dia tidak berjiwa bisnis !

Bila boss mem-by pass prosedur, itu berarti beliau proaktif-innovatif.
Bila staff mem-by pass prosedur, itu berarti dia melanggar aturan !

Bila boss curiga terhadap mitra bisnis, itu berarti beliau waspada.
Bila staff curiga terhadap mitra bisnis, itu berarti dia negative thinking !

Bila boss menyatakan sulit, itu berarti beliau prediktif-antisipatif.
Bila staff menyatakan sulit, itu berarti dia pesimistik !

Bila boss menyatakan mudah, itu berarti beliau optimis.
Bila staff menyatakan mudah, itu berarti dia meremehkan masalah !

Bila boss sering keluar kantor, itu berarti beliau rajin ke customer.
Bila staff sering keluar kantor, itu berarti dia sering kelayapan !

Bila boss sering entertainment, itu berarti beliau rajin me-lobby customer.
Bila staff sering entertainment, itu berarti dia menghamburkan anggaran !

Bila boss sering tidak masuk, itu berarti beliau kecapaian karena kerja keras.
Bila staff sering tidak masuk, itu berarti dia pemalas !

Bila boss minta fasilitas mewah, itu berarti beliau menjaga citra perusahaan.
Bila staff minta fasilitas mewah, itu berarti dia banyak menuntut !

...........dan masih banyak lagi.

Bila boss membuat tulisan seperti ini, itu berarti beliau humoris.
Bila staf membuat tulisan seperti ini, itu berarti dia :
frustasi
iri terhadap karir orang lain
negative thinking
barisan sakit hati
provokasi
tidak tahan banting
berpolitik di kantor
tidak produktif
tidak sesuai dengan budaya perusahaan
..........dan masih banyak lagi


What then are the mechanisms best to control agency problem?
  • Managerial compensation such as: incentives, incentive can be used to align management and stockholder interest. The incentives need to be structured carefully to make sure that they achieve their intended goal.
  • Corporate control – the threat of a takeover may result in better management.
  • Other stakeholders.
  • Regulations

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