Financial risk-taking for others – an experimental consideration

Abstract

This thesis uses an experimental setting to analyses the effects of decision making for others with given client-preferences under differencing circumstances. It first considers decision making for others with and without limited liability but with disclosed client preferences. Afterwards it tests whether implementing a system of accountability can mitigate the increase in risk-taking often observed when limited liability is involved. In the end, an analyses is done whether traits such as greed, narcissism and individualism correlate with the risk-taking for others that is observed under limited liability. One of the main findings of this thesis is that although the clients preferences are known, limited liability still leads to excessive risk taking. It also finds that this excessive risk-taking resulting from convex incentive structures can be effectively reduced by implementing accountability.