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Managerial Incentives, Risk Aversion, and Debt

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  • Milidonis, Andreas
  • Stathopoulos, Konstantinos

Abstract

We investigate the risk choices of risk-averse CEOs. Following recent theoretical work, we expect CEO risk aversion to be more pronounced in firms with high leverage or high default probability. We find that the CEOs of these firms reduce firm risk, even in the presence of strong risk-taking incentives. Our results are robust to controls for the sensitivity of CEO wealth to stock price changes, firm risk determinants, the endogenous feedback effects of firm risk on CEO incentives, unobserved firm and market effects, and debt governance. The impact of CEO risk aversion is economically significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Milidonis, Andreas & Stathopoulos, Konstantinos, 2014. "Managerial Incentives, Risk Aversion, and Debt," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(2), pages 453-481, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:49:y:2014:i:02:p:453-481_00
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    Cited by:

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    2. Shinichi Kamiya & Jun-Koo Kang & Jungmin Kim & Andreas Milidonis & René M. Stulz, 2018. "What is the Impact of Successful Cyberattacks on Target Firms?," NBER Working Papers 24409, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Rajdeep Chakraborti & Sandeep Dahiya & Lei Ge & Pedro Gete, 2022. "Credit Stimulus, Executive Ownership, and Firm Leverage," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(10), pages 7682-7700, October.
    4. Feng, Cecilia (Qian) & Wang, Tawei, 2019. "Does CIO risk appetite matter? Evidence from information security breach incidents," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 59-75.
    5. Peter Zweifel, 2021. "Solvency Regulation—An Assessment of Basel III for Banks and of Planned Solvency III for Insurers," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-22, June.
    6. Florackis, Chris & Kanas, Angelos & Kostakis, Alexandros & Sainani, Sushil, 2020. "Idiosyncratic risk, risk-taking incentives and the relation between managerial ownership and firm value," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(2), pages 748-766.
    7. Bernales, Alejandro & Beuermann, Diether W. & Cumming, Douglas & Olid, Christian, 2023. "Blue-Collar Crime and Finance," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    8. Huang, Rachel J. & Jeng, Vivian & Wang, Cheng-Wei & Yue, Jack C., 2021. "Does size and book-to-market contain intangible information about managerial incentives? Learning from corporate D&O insurance purchase," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    9. Mollah, Sabur & Liljeblom, Eva, 2016. "Governance and bank characteristics in the credit and sovereign debt crises – the impact of CEO power11We are grateful to the Editor, Prof. Iftekhar Hasan and three anonymous referees for valuable com," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 59-73.
    10. Paseda, Oluseun & Olowe, Rufus, 2018. "The Debt Maturity Structure of Nigerian Quoted Firms," MPRA Paper 117061, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 30 Jun 2018.
    11. Xile Yin & Siyu Chen & Dahui Li & Feng Zhang, 2021. "Social norms for fairness and board voting behavior: An experimental investigation," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 110-133, March.
    12. Bradley Benson & Travis Davidson & Hui James & Hongxia Wang, 2022. "Board busyness and corporate payout: are all busy directors the same?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(3), pages 3711-3759, September.
    13. Niklas Kreilkamp & Sascha Matanovic & Maximilian Schmidt & Arnt Wöhrmann, 2023. "How executive incentive design affects risk-taking: a literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(7), pages 2349-2374, October.
    14. Jean Canil & Bruce Rosser, 2015. "Evidence on exercise pricing in CEO option grants in two countries," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 383-410, November.
    15. Erich Renz & Marvin M. Müller & Kim Leonardo Böhm, 2023. "When nudges promote neutral behavior: an experimental study of managerial decisions under risk and uncertainty," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(8), pages 1309-1354, October.
    16. Pour, Eilnaz Kashefi & Uddin, Moshfique & Murinde, Victor & Amini, Shima, 2023. "CEO power, bank risk-taking and national culture: International evidence," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    17. Huang, Jingchang & Cao, June & Hasan, Tahseen & Zhao, Jing, 2021. "Low-carbon city initiatives and firm risk: A quasi-natural experiment in China," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    18. Castro, Paula & Keasey, Kevin & Amor-Tapia, Borja & Tascon, Maria T. & Vallascas, Francesco, 2020. "Does debt concentration depend on the risk-taking incentives in CEO compensation?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    19. Tanseli Savaser & Elif Şişli-Ciamarra, 2017. "Managerial Performance Incentives and Firm Risk during Economic Expansions and Recessions," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(2), pages 911-944.
    20. Chen, Jie & De Cesari, Amedeo & Hill, Paula & Ozkan, Neslihan, 2018. "Initial compensation contracts for new executives and financial distress risk: An empirical investigation of UK firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 292-313.

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