Stability in a Network Economy: The Role of Institutions

Robert P. Gilles (), Emiliya Lazarova and Pieter Ruys
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Robert P. Gilles: Queen's University Management School, Queen's University Belfast, Ireland, United Kingdom

No 1501, CIRIEC Working Papers from CIRIEC - Université de Liège

Abstract: We consider an economy in which agents are embedded in a network of potential value-generating relationships. Agents are assumed to be able to participate in three types of economic interactions: Autarkic self-provision; bilateral interaction; and multilateral collaboration. We introduce two stability concepts and provide sufficient and necessary conditions on the network structure that guarantee existence, both in the absence of externalities from cooperation as well as under crowding conditions. We show that institutions such as socioeconomic roles and hierarchical leadership structures are necessary for stability. In particular, the stability of more complex economic outcomes requires more stringent restrictions on the underlying network which imply more complex institutional rules that govern economic interactions. Thus, we provide support for the theory of co-evolution of institutions and economic outcomes.

Keywords: Network economies; Economic outcomes; Stability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 D71 D85 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Journal Article: Stability in a network economy: The role of institutions (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:crc:wpaper:1501

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