Narrow Results

This paper summarises research on the mechanisms used by banks to align the interests of their workers with the goal of long-term profit maximization. Banking was characterised by moral hazard, and the monitoring technology of the period was far from perfect. The banks incentivized the workers by establishing well-defined career structures within internal labour markets, by strongly tying salary to tenure and attaching large salary increases to promotion. A worker who quit or was dismissed was punished with a considerable loss of lifetime earnings. Conversely, one who exceeded the norms was rewarded by substantial earnings growth associated with seniority and promotion.