Limits of transaction cost analysis

Nevertheless, there are many unanswered questions of a conceptual, theoretical and empirical nature. Even the term ‘transaction cost’ awaits an adequately precise definition. As Williamson (1995, p. 33) himself notes: ‘There is nonetheless a grave problem with broad, elastic and plausible concepts – of which “transaction costs” is one and “power” is another – in that they lend themselves to ex post rationalization. Concepts that explain everything explain nothing.’