Transactions and legal institutionalism: part I – six leading thinkers
梳理了六位著名学者对交易成本的不同定义，指出其差异，并建议从法律合同和产权交换角度重新理解交易成本，为后续研究提供新思路。
Abstract Prominent scholars have complained of inadequate clarity and agreement on what transactions are, and how their costs are measured. This two-part article explores this topic and suggests an alternative approach. This part examines different meanings of transaction cost used by leading scholars in this area, including John R. Commons, Ronald H. Coase, Oliver E. Williamson, Douglas C. North, Douglas W. Allen, and Yoram Barzel. It reveals prominent usages of the term that differ in several important respects. A sharper approach might focus on legal contracts and exchanges of legal titles, as suggested by Harold Demsetz. That option is explored further in Part II.