Information on ISCR

Founded in 1998, ISCR is an independent, nonprofit research institute located at Victoria University of Wellington Pipitea Campus in Rutherford House. Funding of its activities is provided by members, project work, and research grants. Governance of ISCR is the responsibility of the executive director, and chairman Rob Cameron and the Board of Directors.

Mission: An independent institute working in partnership to produce internationally first-class economic research; informing policy and practices which support New Zealand institutions and markets.

The primary objectives of ISCR research are to assist in understanding:

• how markets and organisations operate
• how markets provide appropriate incentives and disciplines for organisations
• the limitations of markets, and the role of regulation in addressing these limitations
• the importance of property rights and institutional structures in facilitating effectiveness of markets, organisations, competition, and regulation in New Zealand.

Some broad research themes are:

Competition and Markets

Analysis of economic units in a competitive environment. In particular,

• The importance of incentives (financial, reputational, career, and moral) in shaping economic behaviour
• The role of market competition in facilitating incentives and imposing appropriate discipline on participants
• Optimal investment, financing and savings strategies in a competitive environment

Regulation and Governance

Analysis of economic units in a regulated environment. In particular,

• The incentive effects of regulation
• The optimal design of regulation
• Developments in the legal and regulatory environment

The Economic Structure of Industries, Institutions, Markets and Contracts

Description and assessment of specific firms and industries.