This page offers the latest information about workshop series by WINPEC (Waseda Institute of Political Economy).

Empirical Microeconomics

Ryo Nakajima (Keio University)

Dec. 10 2020
Title Examining Patent Examiners: Present Bias, Procrastination and Task Performance
Date December 10, 2020 (Thursday) 16:30-18:00
Location via Zoom
Abstract This paper explores the unproductive procrastination behavior of patent examiners, probes whether such behavior is caused by present-biased preferences, and estimates the magnitude. We set out a quasihyperbolic discounting model where a patent examiner is assigned a biweekly quota of patent application reviews and determines the level of effort by the deadline. We estimate the present-bias factor of each patent examiner based on patent prosecution data in the U.S. and find that the proportion of present-biased individuals exceeds the majority. We demonstrate that the job separation rate is higher for less present-biased patent examiners, and a fragmented work quota can improve patent examination quality and timeliness.
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