卡森的信息成本与制度演化理论述评

Comments on Carson's Theory of Information Cost and Development of Systems

经济活动是建立在信息基础上的,经济制度的实质是决策责任的分配机制和信息流的构建机制;经济组织和经济组织的演化与信息成本密切相关;最优的制度结构是能够在既定的环境与信息成本条件下有效地配置决策权。

This article maintains that economic activities are organized on the basis of information. The essence of economic system, thus, lies in mechanism of distribution of responsibility for decision making, and mechanism of structuring the flow of information. Economic organizations and development of economic organizations are closely related to the cost of information. An optimal structure is one which can effectively allocate decision making in a given context with a certain information cost, and form a reasonably operable system of information flow.