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Ironing out the kinks in executive compensation: Linking incentive pay to average stock prices

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  • Tian, Yisong S.

Abstract

Traditional stock option grant is the most common form of incentive pay in executive compensation. Applying a principal-agent analysis, we find this common practice suboptimal and firms are better off linking incentive pay to average stock prices. Among other benefits, averaging reduces volatility by about 42%, making the incentive pay more attractive to risk-averse executives. Holding the cost of the option grant to the firm constant, Asian stock options are more cost effective than traditional stock options and provide stronger incentives to increase stock price. More importantly, the improvement is achieved with little impact on the option grant’s risk incentives (after adjusting for option cost). Finally, averaging also improves the value and incentive effects of indexed stock options.

Suggested Citation

  • Tian, Yisong S., 2013. "Ironing out the kinks in executive compensation: Linking incentive pay to average stock prices," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 415-432.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:37:y:2013:i:2:p:415-432
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2012.09.025
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Qiong & Qiu, Muqing, 2023. "Strength in numbers: Minority shareholders' participation and executives' pay-performance sensitivity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Wang, Xingchun, 2021. "The values and incentive effects of options on the maximum or the minimum of the stock prices and market index," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    3. Kwangil Bae & Jangkoo Kang & Hwa‐Sung Kim, 2018. "Call options with concave payoffs: An application to executive stock options," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(8), pages 943-957, August.
    4. Yisong S. Tian, 2020. "Enhancing managerial equity incentives with moving average payoffs," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(10), pages 1562-1583, October.
    5. Wensheng Yang & Jingtang Ma & Zhenyu Cui, 2021. "Analysis of Markov chain approximation for Asian options and occupation-time derivatives: Greeks and convergence rates," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 93(2), pages 359-412, April.
    6. Zhiwei Su & Xingchun Wang, 2019. "Pricing executive stock options with averaging features under the Heston–Nandi GARCH model," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(9), pages 1056-1084, September.
    7. Rupak Chatterjee & Zhenyu Cui & Jiacheng Fan & Mingzhe Liu, 2018. "An efficient and stable method for short maturity Asian options," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(12), pages 1470-1486, December.
    8. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & Olufemi Bodunde Obembe & Emmanuel Oluwole Oni, 2017. "Analysis of the Nexus between CEO Pay and Performance of Non-Financial Listed Firms in Nigeria," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(3), pages 429-445, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Executive compensation; Optimal contracting; Executive stock options; Cost effectiveness; Incentive effects; Asian options; Indexed options;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G13 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Contingent Pricing; Futures Pricing
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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