Unpriced Internal Externalities and Structural Inefficiency in Organizations

Jan van de Poll

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: Organizations often invest substantial effort in improving internal mechanisms such as processes, governance, and technology, yet realize only modest performance gains. This paper proposes a structural explanation for this pattern. We introduce the concept of internal externalities: unpriced cross-effects generated by internal organizational mechanisms that act simultaneously on multiple objectives. When these effects oppose one another, effort cancels internally, limiting attainable performance even without incentive misalignment or informational constraints. We formalize this mechanism by modeling internal mechanisms as primitives that exert signed effects across performance objectives. This structure gives rise to internal conflict, a measurable property that captures the fraction of organizational activity lost to cancellation. We show that conflict constitutes a form of structural inefficiency that constrains the returns to effort and renders allocative optimization ineffective unless addressed first. The framework implies a natural sequencing of interventions, in which structural cleanup precedes effort reallocation and optimization. The analysis yields testable predictions and governance implications for how organizations should scale, constrain, redesign, or deprioritize internal mechanisms.

Date: 2026-09
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