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Managerial risk-taking incentives and the systemic risk of financial institutions

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  • Jamshed Iqbal

    (University of Vaasa)

  • Sami Vähämaa

    (University of Vaasa)

Abstract

This paper examines whether the systemic risk of financial institutions is associated with the risk-taking incentives generated by executive compensation. We measure managerial risk-taking incentives with the sensitivities of chief executive officer (CEO) and chief financial officer (CFO) compensation to changes in stock prices (pay-performance sensitivity) and stock return volatility (pay-risk sensitivity). Using data on large U.S. financial institutions over the period 2005–2010, we document a negative association between systemic risk and the sensitivities of CEO and CFO compensation to stock return volatility. However, our results also demonstrate that financial institutions with greater managerial risk-taking incentives were associated with significantly higher levels of systemic risk during the peak of the financial crisis in 2008. We further document that the relation between pay-performance sensitivity and systemic risk is essentially nonexistent. Overall, our empirical findings indicate that the association between managerial risk-taking incentives and banks’ systemic risk is ambiguous and is not stable over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Jamshed Iqbal & Sami Vähämaa, 2019. "Managerial risk-taking incentives and the systemic risk of financial institutions," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 1229-1258, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:53:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s11156-018-0780-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-018-0780-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Executive compensation; Risk-taking incentives; Systemic risk; Bank risk-taking; Financial crisis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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