Updated March 2024
Download a full version of my CV (pdf, December 2024)
Present positions
Associate Professor, Agricultural & Applied Economics, Division of Applied Social Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005 to present
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- Program Coordinator, Managerial, Behavioral & Organizational Economics emphasis area in the Agricultural & Applied Economics MS and PhD programs, 2017 to 2023
- Director of Undergraduate Studies in Agribusiness Management, 2017 to 2021
- Assistant Professor, Agricultural & Applied Economics, 1998-2005
Executive Director, Financial Research Institute, University of Missouri, 2021 to present
Director and co-founder, Contracting and Organizations Research Institute, University of Missouri, 2000 to present
Research areas
Organizational economics, contracting, industrial organization, antitrust, regulation, and political economy. Current research includes issues of franchise ownership, strategy and performance; corporate ownership and antitrust; property rights in ‘big data’.
Education
PhD, Economics, Washington University in St. Louis, 1994. Dissertation: “Real Effects of Futures Markets on Firm and Industry Behavior: A Study of Institutions and Contracting in the Crude Oil Industry”
MA, Economics, Washington University in St. Louis, 1990
BS, Economics, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1989
Previous positions
Associate Director, Center for Research on Contracts and the Structure of Enterprise, Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, January 1995 to August 1998.
Faculty Research Associate and Lecturer, Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, January 1995 to August 1998.
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Washington University, St. Louis, 1994
Lecturer, 1992-1993
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1994
Lecturer, 1991-1993
Research Fellow, Center for the Study of American Business, Washington University, 1990-94
Honorary positions and affiliations
Affiliate Scholar, International Center for Law & Economics, 2009 – present
Privacy Fellow, George Mason University, Law & Economics Center, 2014-2015
Visiting Professor, Agricultural University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2014-2015
Books
Klein, Peter G., and Michael E. Sykuta, eds., The Elgar Companion to Transaction Cost Economics (Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar, 2010).
Academic journal publications
“Forecasting energy poverty using different machine learning techniques for Missouri,” with S. Balkissoon, N. Fox, A. Lupo, S.E. Haupt, S.G. Penny, S.J. Miller, M. Betstra, and A. Ohler, Energy 131, 2024
“The Case for Doing Nothing About Institutional Investors’ Common Ownership of Small Stakes in Competing Firms,” with Thom Lambert, Virginia Law & Business Review 13(2), 2019: 213-278.
“The Effect of Franchising on Establishment Performance in the U.S. Restaurant Industry,” with Matthew Sveum, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 60(2), 2019: 104-115 [SSRN]
“Regulation and Contract Choice in the Distribution of Wine,” with Michelle Santiago, Journal of Wine Economics 11(2), 2016: 216-232.
“Big Data in Agriculture: Property Rights, Privacy and Competition in Ag Data Services,” International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 19A, June 2016.
“Contract Use and Contract Terms in Organic Markets,” with Jason R. Franken, and Peter G. Klein, Journal of Agribusiness 30(1), 2012: 17–34.
“The Nature of the Financial Deal in the Post-Crisis Financial Market,” Entrepreneurial Business Law Journal 7(1), 2012
“The Adoption, Diffusion, and Evolution of Organizational Form: Insights from the Agrifood Sector,” with Harvey S. James, Jr. and Peter G. Klein, Managerial and Decision Economics 32(4), 2011: 243–59. [SSRN]
“Concentration, Contracting and Competition: Problems In Using The Packers & Stockyards Act To Supplement Antitrust,” The CPI Antitrust Journal, 4(2) Spring 2010
“Do Income Support Programs Impact Producer Hedging Decisions? Evidence from a Cross-country Comparative,” with Andrea Woolverton, Review of Agricultural Economics, 31(4) Winter 2009
“Farmer Trust in Producer- and Investor-Owned Firms: Evidence from Missouri Corn and Soybean Producers,” with Harvey S. James, Jr., Agribusiness: An International Journal, 22(1) January 2006
“Property Right and Organizational Characteristics of Producer-Owned Firms and Organizational Trust,” with Harvey S. James, Jr., Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 76(4) December 2005
“Market Integration: Case Studies of Structural Change,” with Jason R. Franken, Joseph Parcell, and Chris Fulcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 34(2) October 2005
“Agricultural Organization in an Era of Traceability,” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 37(2) August 2005
“Politics, Economics, and the Regulation of Direct Interstate Shipping in the Wine Industry,” with Gina M. Riekhof, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 87(2) May 2005*
* Reprinted in Handbook of the Economics of Wine, eds. O. Ashenfelter, O. Gergaud, K Storchmann and W. Ziemba, Singapore: World Scientific, 2018.
“Who’s Monitoring the Monitor? Do Outside Directors Protect Shareholders’ Interests?” with Eric Helland, Financial Review, 40(2), May 2005
“Undergraduate Perceptions of the Need for an Agricultural Entrepreneurship Curriculum,” with Joseph Parcell, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal, 49(1) March 2005.
“Organizational Economics Research in the U.S. Agricultural Sector and the Contracting and Organizations Research Institute,” with Harvey S. James, Jr., American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 86(3) August 2004
“Regulation and the Evolution of Corporate Boards: Monitoring, Advising or Window Dressing?” with Eric Helland, Journal of Law and Economics, 47(1), April 2004
“Contract Structure and Design in Identity Preserved Grain Production,” with Joseph L. Parcell, Review of Agricultural Economics, 25(2), Fall/Winter 2003.
“Financial Performance of Large Food Retailers,” with Bruce Bjornson, Agribusiness: An International Journal, 18(3), Summer 2002
“A New Institutional Economics Approach to Contracts and Cooperatives,” with Michael L. Cook, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 83(5), December 2001
“Putting Theories of the Firm in Their Place: A supplemental digest of the New Institutional Economics,” with Fabio Chaddad, Journal of Cooperatives, 14, 1999
“Antitrust and Franchise Relocation in Professional Sports: An Economic Analysis of the Raiders Case,” with Kenneth Lehn, The Antitrust Bulletin, 42(3), Fall 1997.
“Futures trading and supply contracting in the oil refining industry,” Journal of Corporate Finance, 2(4), July 1996
“Lending Discrimination: A Reply to Goldstein and Squires,” with Charles Leven, Urban Affairs Quarterly, 29(3), March 1994 Urban Affairs Review, 30(4), March 1995
“The Importance of Race in Mortgage Lending Decisions,” with Charles Leven, Urban Affairs Quarterly, 29(3), March 1994
Chapters in books
Riekhof, Gina M., and Michael Sykuta, “Politics, Economics, and the Regulation of Direct Interstate Shipping in the Wine Industry,” in O. Ashenfelter, O. Gergaud, K Storchmann and W. Ziemba (eds.), Handbook of the Economics of Wine, Volume 2, Singapore: World Scientific, 2018.
Sykuta, Michael, “The Fallacy of ‘Competition’ in Agriculture,” in H.S. James, Jr., ed, The Ethics and Economics of Agrifood Competition, Springer, 2013
Sykuta, Michael, “Ronald H. Coase,” in P.G. Klein and M.E. Sykuta (eds.), The Elgar Companion to Transaction Cost Economics, Aldershott, UK: Edward Elgar, 2010
Sykuta, Michael, “Empirical Methods in Transaction Cost Economics Research,” in P.G. Klein and M.E. Sykuta (eds.), The Elgar Companion to Transaction Cost Economics, Aldershott, UK: Edward Elgar, 2010
Sykuta, Michael, “New Institutional Econometrics: The Case of Contracting and Organizations Research,” in E. Brousseau and J.M. Glachant (eds.), New Institutional Economics: A Textbook,. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008
Additional publications
Lambert, Thomas and Michael Sykuta, “Are the Remedies for the Common Ownership Problem Worse than the Disease?: Assessing the Likely Decision and Error Costs of Proposed Antitrust Interventions,” CPI Antitrust Chronicle, Spring 2019: 2(2).
Lambert, Thomas and Michael Sykuta, “Calm Down About Common Ownership,” Regulation, Fall 2018
Lambert, Thomas, and Michael Sykuta, “Why the New Evidence on Minimum Resale Price Maintenance Does Not Justify a Per Se or ‘Quick Look’ Approach,” CPI Antitrust Chronicle, November 2013: 1.
Riekhof, Gina, and Michael Sykuta. “Regulating Wine By Mail,” Regulation, Fall 2004
Grants and gifts
“Building a Cohort of Energy System Regulatory Economists through FRI’s RULI Program,” Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Ohler, Adrienne (PI), Michael E. Sykuta (Co-PI); $250,000; 2024-2027
“Examining the Cost of Compliance with Supply Chain Cybersecurity Regulations in the U.S. Electricity Industry and the Benefits of the North American Transmissions Forum’s Compliance Model,” CAFNR (MU) Joy of Discovery Grant; Ohler, Adrienne (PI), Michael E. Sykuta (Co-PI); $20,000; 2024-2025
“Uzbekistan Agribusiness Development Activity,” Chemonics International Inc.; Clark, Kerry (PI), Michael E. Sykuta (co-PI), Jon Simonsen (co-PI); $921,044; 2020-2024
“Enhancing the Economic Sustainability of Missouri Agritourism,” Missouri Agriculture and Small Business Development Authority; Kim, Dae-Young (PI), Michael E. Sykuta (co-PI), Eliza Tse (Co-PI); $155,000; Dec 2019-Jan 2021
“Liberty and Justice Colloquium,” Charles G. Koch Foundation, Michael E. Sykuta (PI), $10,375; 2013-14
“Producer Responses to Farm Bill Changes: An Entrepreneurial Perspective,” Sykuta, Michael E. (PI), US Department of Agriculture; $7,500; 2010-12
“Clusters and Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences,” Ewing Marion Kauffman FoundationKalaitzandonakes, Nicholas (PI), Peter G. Klein, Michael E. Sykuta, Yin Xia, Todd Chiles, Bruce Walker, and Michael Nichols, 2004–10.
“Entrepreneurial and Organizational Responses to Biotechnology Innovation,” Illinois-Missouri Biotechnology Alliance, Klein, Peter G. (PI), Michael E. Sykuta, David O’Brien, and Michael L. Cook (co-investigators), 2006–09.
“National Needs Doctoral Fellowships in Agribusiness Management.” US Department of Agriculture, Cook, Michael, Bruce Bjornson, Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, and Michael Sykuta, 2003-06.
“Public Acceptance of Agrobiotechnologies and Food Supply Chain Structure,” Illinois-Missouri Biotechnology Alliance, Kalaitzandonakes, Nicholas (PI), Leonie Marks, Michael Sykuta, Joseph Parcell, 2000-02.
“CORI Contract Library Development and Research,” Coase Foundation, Sykuta, Michael E. (PI), 2002-03
“Contracting and Organizations Research Institute,” Sarah Scaife Foundation, Sykuta, Michael E. (PI), 2001
“Contracting and Organizations Research Mission Enhancement,” University of Missouri-Columbia,Sykuta, Michael E., Robert Lawless, Stephen Ferris (co-investigators), 2000-03
Professional service
Editor, New Institutional Economics eJournal, Social Science Research Network, 2004-present
Webeditor, International Society for New Institutional Economics (now Society for Institutional and Organizational Economics), 1998-2013
Chair, Agribusiness Economics & Management Section, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, 2011-12
Chair, Economic Statistics and Information Resources Committee, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, 2008-10
Grant reviewer/panelist: National Science Foundation/USDA:SBIR, Canadian Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council, National Academy of Sciences/USAID, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Professional memberships: American Economic Association, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, American Law & Economics Association, Society for Institutional and Organizational Economics, United States Association for Energy Economics
Former PhD students
Hyeonjin Im, Texas A&M International University (2023)
Shih-Chuan Lin, Tamkang University (2019)
Matthew Sveum, William Woods University (2016)
Michelle Santiago, Murray State University (2009)
Jongick Jang, Hanshin University, Seoul, Korea (2008)
Andrea Woolverton, Food and Agricultural Organization, United Nations (2007)
Christopher Boessen, Iowa State University (2007)
Courses taught
PhD
Economics of Institutions and Organizations
Advanced Microeconomic Theory and Applications II
Economics of Agribusiness Firms
Economics of Agribusiness Markets and Networks
MS/MBA/JD
Economics of Transactions and Contracting
Economics Analysis of Policy & Regulation
Energy Markets & Regulation
Microeconomics for Business
Managerial Economics
Corporate Finance
Management Strategy
Undergraduate
Economic Analysis of Policy & Regulation
Energy Markets & Regulation
Agribusiness Management Strategy
Antitrust Economics
Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
Agricultural Marketing System
Principles of Microeconomics
Introduction to Agribusiness
Teaching Awards & Recognitions
- Outstanding Teacher (6+ years), College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, MU, 2020
- Writing Intensive Teaching Excellence Award, MU Campus Writing Center, 2017
- Outstanding Faculty Member, MU Ag Econ Club, 2009
- Golden Apple Award, College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, MU, 2004
- Outstanding Teacher, Homecoming Steering Committee, MU, 2003