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The Measurement of Firm Ownership and its Effect on Managerial Pay

Author

Listed:
  • Jeremy Edwards
  • Wolfgang Eggert
  • Alfons J. Weichenrieder
  • Alfons Weichenrieder

Abstract

This paper uses German evidence to address two questions about corporate governance. The effects of ownership on corporate governance have received much recent attention, but very little of this has been devoted to the appropriate way to measure firm ownership. The results of this paper show that the conclusions reached about the effects of ownership on corporate governance can depend critically on the particular ownership measure used, and that the widely-used weakest-link principle is wholly unsatisfactory as a means of dealing with the issues raised by pyramid ownership structures. The paper also shows that greater ownership concentration typically weakens the link between managerial pay and firm profitability. This is inconsistent with the hypothesis, emphasised in the recent literature on the USA, that large owners are a complement to, rather than a substitute for, such a link.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeremy Edwards & Wolfgang Eggert & Alfons J. Weichenrieder & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2006. "The Measurement of Firm Ownership and its Effect on Managerial Pay," CESifo Working Paper Series 1774, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1774
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stijn Claessens & Simeon Djankov & Joseph P. H. Fan & Larry H. P. Lang, 2002. "Disentangling the Incentive and Entrenchment Effects of Large Shareholdings," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(6), pages 2741-2771, December.
    2. Kaplan, Steven N, 1994. "Top Executives, Turnover, and Firm Performance in Germany," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(1), pages 142-159, April.
    3. Jeremy Edwards & Alfons J. Weichenrieder & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2004. "How Weak is the Weakest-Link Principle? On the Measurement of Firm Owners’ Control Rights," CESifo Working Paper Series 1255, CESifo.
    4. repec:fth:prinin:430 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Sonja Daltung & Vittoria Cerasi, 2006. "Financial structure, managerial compensation and monitoring," FMG Discussion Papers dp576, Financial Markets Group.
    2. Heijdra, Ben J. & Ligthart, Jenny E., 2007. "Fiscal policy, monopolistic competition, and finite lives," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 325-359, January.
    3. Michael Gorski & Tim Krieger & Thomas Lange, 2007. "Pensions, Education and Life Expectancy," Working Papers CIE 4, Paderborn University, CIE Center for International Economics.
    4. Axel Dreher & Tim Krieger, 2010. "Diesel price convergence and mineral oil taxation in Europe," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(15), pages 1955-1961.
    5. Samer Khouri & Lubos Elexa & Michal Istok & Andrea Rosova, 2019. "A Study from Slovakia on the Transfer of Slovak Companies to Tax Havens and Their Impact on the Sustainability of the Status of a Business Entity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Tim Krieger & Steffen Minter, 2007. "Immigration amnesties in the southern EU member states - a challenge for the entire EU?," Working Papers CIE 6, Paderborn University, CIE Center for International Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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