The agency problem is a conflict of interest inherent in any relationship where one party is expected to act in another's best interests. In corporate finance, the agency problem usually refers to a conflict of interest between a company's management and the company's stockholders. The manager, acting as the agent for the shareholders, or principals, is supposed to make decisions that will maximize shareholder wealth even though it is in the manager’s best interest to maximize his own wealth.
While it is not possible to eliminate the agency problem completely, the manager can be motivated to act in the shareholders' best interests through incentives such as performance-based compensation, direct influence by shareholders, the threat of firing and the threat of takeovers.
For this discussion watch the video Party's Over: Tyco's Kozlowski, identify different incidences where agency conflicts arose between Dennis Koslowski and the shareholders of Tyco International. Discuss why you believe they are agency conflicts and what are some ways they might be able to monitor or control for these agency conflicts.