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Backdating And Director Incentives: Money Or Reputation?

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  • Kristina Minnick
  • Mengxin Zhao

Abstract

We investigate how director incentives affect the occurrence of firms' backdating employee stock options. Directors with more wealth tied up in stock options may pursue activities that lead to personal gain, such as option backdating, which potentially increases the option recipient's compensation. We document a positive and significant association between director option compensation and the likelihood that firms backdate stock options. Our results question the effectiveness of director option compensation in aligning the interests with those of shareholders and help to explain the recent decline in the use of director option grants by many firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristina Minnick & Mengxin Zhao, 2009. "Backdating And Director Incentives: Money Or Reputation?," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 32(4), pages 449-477, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfnres:v:32:y:2009:i:4:p:449-477
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6803.2009.01257.x
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    2. Atul Gupta & Kristina Minnick, 2022. "Social capital and managerial opportunism: Evidence from option backdating," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 45(3), pages 579-605, September.
    3. Engel, Pascal J. & Hack, Andreas & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2015. "Setting the right mix—Analyzing outside directors’ pay mix in public family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 130-140.
    4. Timothy King & Jonathan Williams, 2013. "Bank Efficiency and Executive Compensation," Working Papers 13009, Bangor Business School, Prifysgol Bangor University (Cymru / Wales).
    5. Ertimur, Yonca & Ferri, Fabrizio & Maber, David A., 2012. "Reputation penalties for poor monitoring of executive pay: Evidence from option backdating," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 118-144.
    6. Yangyang Chen & Cameron Truong & Madhu Veeraraghavan, 2015. "CEO Risk-Taking Incentives and the Cost of Equity Capital," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(7-8), pages 915-946, September.
    7. Compton, Ryan & Nicholls, Christopher C. & Sandler, Daniel & Tedds, Lindsay, 2011. "Quantifying the Personal Income Tax Benefits of Backdating: A Canada - US Comparison," MPRA Paper 39789, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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