Economic theory is growing not only in depth but in the breadth of its application as well. This study encroaches in part on a field normally considered as the domain of Sociology. But the methods applied here are those of mathematical economics. It has not been my ambition to make this as general and as mathe matically demanding as possible. On the contrary, I wanted to present as simple an argument as possible throughout. I wish to thank Brown University for granting me a Sabbatical leave in the Fall of 1977-78 in the course of which I wrote the first draft of this monograph. I am also grateful to the late Professor Jacob Marschak and to Professor Arthur Geoffrion for sponsoring me as a Visiting Scholar of the Western Management Science Institute, Graduate School of Management, UCLA for the months of November and December 1977. The Western Management Science Institute proved to be an ideal environment for writing: protective and stimulating at the same time. I have benefitted specifically from comments received as a result of presenting Chapters IV and V in the Marschak Colloquium on December 2, 1977, in particular by Professors Intri11igator and Spiro. My greatest indebtedness is to Jacob Marschak to whom I owe my awareness of and interest in the economic theory of organizations. He was my teacher, my director and supervisor, and my fatherly friend since 1950. It is thus entirely fitting that this work should be dedicated to his memory.weiterlesen